Destined
by ichilover3
Summary: It's not the destination that matters, it's the journey- and the Konoha 9 are in for a wild ride. Sorta-sequel to Into the Future. Series of oneshots set in Futureverse. Multiple pairings.
1. In which someone learns to knock

**What up, peeps? I'm back! =D I know it's been a while, and all I can say to that is, "midterms. And then Spring Break." (Also, Fanfic . net is having MAJOR issues right now... so anyone who got an alert from me about a random fandom...it was the only way I could upload this. Hopefully things will be fixed soon, because I've wanted to post this for two days and this is starting to annoy me.) But alas, I have returned.**

**For all of the new readers who have no idea what is going on, this story is a sequel-ish thing to one of my other fics, **_**Into the Future**_**. Technically, I guess you don't have to read that one—but I highly recommend it, as you might not recognize some characters/inside jokes/plotlines. Also, based on my reviewers' opinions, reading it would most likely be a good time. ^_^**

**Okay. I would like to start off saying that the whole reason I wrote **_**Into the Future**_** to take place before Pein's invasion was because I wanted to stay as close to canon as possible—Hinata could still have her time to shine (confession), and Naruto could still have his tearjerking reunion with his parents. However, I realized that Canon!Naruto was moving much too slowly for my tastes in regards to Hinata, and for the sake of character development in general, it would just be much more fun to do things my way. So I guess this fic is where things take an AU spin (that is, if you ever considered a future-seeing party at Kiba's house canon in the first place).**

**All of these oneshots will take place in Futureverse, although at different points in time. Also, they are not in any way in order—they will just be spit out when the idea comes to me. They will entail the lives of our favorite Naruto characters, as well as the kiddies and whoever else I feel like adding. Different points-of-view, different lengths, different levels of seriousness.**

**Okay! Let's get this party started. ^_^**

**I don't own Naruto. If I did, you all would be in for one hell of a ride.**

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Hinata hummed happily, working the brush carefully through her long indigo hair. She had never been much of a hummer, but ever since Kiba's party a couple of months before, she hummed all the time.

_Naruto, _her thoughts whispered, and involuntarily, she sighed, exhaled air caressing her slightly parted lips.

She had never been this happy before! Ever since the night she had gone with him to Ichiraku Ramen, Naruto seemed to notice her more. They went out to eat, sometimes with friends, sometimes just the two of them. He was willing to spend time with her! _Alone!_ It was likely Naruto just saw her as a friend, but Hinata didn't care. She got to be around her beloved, and that was all that mattered.

Sighing again, she placed the brush on her nightstand, gathering her hair at the nape of her neck and beginning to braid it. Suddenly, she was super-aware—the fine hairs on her arms standing, her ears picking up on tiny sounds, her heart rate increasing.

Someone was watching her.

Continuing her braiding and forcing herself to breathe at a normal pace, Hinata activated her bloodline limit. She was nearly startled as the person chose that exact moment to drop out of the vent in her ceiling.

Naruto caught the vent cover on his way down, landing in a lazy crouch without a sound. He grinned cheekily at her, setting the cover on the floor.

"N-Naruto-kun!" Hinata squeaked, deactivating her Byakugan but very aware that servants were roaming the corridors as they spoke. Inwardly, she cursed her stutter—although it was nearly gone now, Naruto seemed to have startled it out of her. "W-What are you doing here?"

Naruto blinked, confused. "I needed to talk to you." He didn't seem to notice how frazzled she was, or that he shouldn't have been able to successfully infiltrate the Hyuuga compound.

Hinata blushed, crossing her arms over herself self-consciously. Even though her nightgown was modest enough—the hem landing below her knees, the neckline showing no cleavage, the sleeves covering her shoulders—just standing in front of her lifelong crush in the lacy white garment made her face rival a tomato. "And it couldn't wait until tomorrow?"

Naruto scratched his head nervously. "Well, I was sitting at home, sharpening my kunai, when I realized something. And it's kind of important."

Some of her uneasiness disappeared, quickly being replaced by worry. "What's the matter?"

He fidgeted, a blush appearing across his nose. "Well...I realized that I really like you. Like, a lot."

Hinata blinked in response, mute and sure that her delusional mind was actively daydreaming.

Her silence seemed to make Naruto even more nervous. "It's just that I noticed how much fun we have together," he rushed. "Well, I guess I can't speak for you. But I know that you actually _listen_ to me when I talk and you always seem genuinely happy to see me and no one's ever done any of that for me and it's okay if you don't feel the same way—"

"I do!" Hinata squeaked, no longer able to maintain eye contact. "I...I love you, Naruto-kun."

He looked pleasantly surprised at this, a happy blush replacing the embarrassed one. However, her confession still seemed to raise his anxiety. "Then you deserve to know," he murmured to himself, looking off into the distance at nothing in particular.

"Naruto-kun?" Hinata prompted, his faraway look making her uneasy.

Naruto's eyes snapped back to hers, knocked out of his reverie. "I have to show you something."

Hinata took a breath, mentally preparing herself for anything. Despite this, however, she was completely unprepared when Naruto unzipped his orange jacket, slipping it off, and then proceeded to pull his undershirt over his head. At the first glimpse of bare skin, Hinata whipped around, hands cupping her face in a mixture of embarrassment and amazement.

_It was happening _so_ fast! _They had only just confessed to one another! And technically, only _she_ had confessed—Naruto just admitted that he liked her a lot. But it didn't matter—she would willingly give herself. She had loved Naruto for so long that she had no qualms with it if he wanted her. She just hadn't expected him to move so quickly!

_His timing isn't the greatest, _she thought to herself, biting her lip. _Otou-sama is still awake, and _anyone_ could catch us—_

"Er...Hinata-chan?"

Hinata whipped around again, hands still cupping her face, inner monologue interrupted. Her blush returned full-force at the sight of his lean, muscular frame. Involuntarily, her eyes roamed his body, starting at the teal crystal necklace he wore, then traveling down his chest to his sculpted abs and—

Her eyebrows furrowed in confusion, and her gaze snapped back up to his bright blue eyes. "Naruto?"

He didn't answer, seemingly holding his breath.

She was holding her breath too, but she didn't notice. Instead, she walked back to him, sitting in front of him on the edge of her bed so his abdomen was in her line of sight.

Because of the nature of their clan, the Hyuuga were well-versed in seals; because of her previous position as clan heir, Hinata was even more so. There was definitely a seal around her crush's bellybutton—and doozy at that. As if she was no longer aware of her actions, Hinata traced lightly over the markings with her fingers.

Naruto shivered at her touch, his ab muscles twitching when her other hand pulled the edge of his pants down slightly so that she could assess the covered parts of the seal.

Her brows were furrowed in concentration as she studied the intricate patterns. Noticing a particularly complicated part—usually reserved for sealing something immensely powerful...or dangerous—Hinata's fingers stilled, and her eyes snapped up to Naruto's face.

He was looking back at her, blue eyes apprehensive.

"Naruto-kun," she breathed, her voice barely above a whisper. "What are you sealing?"

"If you don't want to see me anymore, I completely understand," he murmured gruffly.

"Naruto." She couldn't stand it—couldn't stand the pitiful look he was giving her. She had to know. She had to make it better.

"Kyuubi," he whispered.

She stared at him, sure she had heard him wrong. "What?"

"Kyuubi." He was searching her face, trying to judge her reaction. "Kyuubi no Youko."

The words had a slow effect on her. Her first reaction was to study the seal again, to try to grasp the fact that the infamous Kyuubi was _in_ him, was a _part_ of him.

Her second was to cry.

Naruto began to panic the second he saw tears begin to leak out of her eyes. "It's okay, Hina-chan!" he said worriedly, although not sure what exactly she was crying about. "Please don't cry."

But Hinata couldn't help it. Because suddenly, it all made perfect sense. The village's animosity towards a little orphan boy. The stares. The insults. Naruto's constant need to prove himself. Even his ridiculous stamina and ability to heal inhumanly fast—it all made perfect sense.

Kyuubi.

She wanted to hug him, to hold on and never let go, but she was suddenly very aware of his proximity, of where exactly her hands lay, and she retracted them quickly, another blush taking over her features. "I'm sorry, Naruto-kun."

His face fell, noticing her suddenly pulling away. There was still a smile on his lips, but it was clearly forced. "It's okay! I just didn't want you to be involved with me without knowing what you were getting into." He made a move for his discarded jacket. "I should go. I'll see you around, I guess."

Hinata's eyes widened in alarm. Seeing he was trying to escape, she reached her hand out, snagging his. "NO!"

He looked at her in surprise, confused.

Hinata wiped away lingering tears, trying not to notice that she was holding Naruto's hand and _she had initiated it_. She stared fixedly at the floor. "I meant that I was sorry that you had to go through what you've been through," she said quietly. "I-I love you, Naruto-kun. Kyuubi or not."

It was silent. She thought that her face was going to explode from embarrassment, but when she gathered the courage to look back up at him, he was grinning at her, genuinely this time. "It doesn't bother you?"

Hinata shook her head furiously, resisting the urge to put her pointer fingers together as her embarrassment grew. "Can...can I see your seal again?" she peeped.

"Sure!" Naruto responded happily, his confidence fully back. He stepped in front of her again, once more putting the seal within her line of sight. He waggled his eyebrows suggestively. "You can look _whenever_ you want. As long as you want."

She swatted his stomach playfully, embarrassed enough to know that any talking on her part would result in stuttering. But her curiosity about the intricate seal outweighed her mortification, and she soon found her fingers lightly hooking inside the top edge of his pants and pulling down, improving the seal's visibility again.

"Hinata-sama, I made some tea, and I thought you'd like some—"

Alarmed, both Hinata and Naruto jumped. Naruto looked over his shoulder at the door, and, even though she knew what she would see, Hinata peeked around Naruto.

Neji stood there, teacup in hand, eyes wide.

_How had they not noticed him coming?_

Silence. Everyone was frozen, as if forgoing movement would make the awkwardness disappear.

Then, as if a switch had been turned on, Neji's face flushed. "Sorry to interrupt," he said, hastily setting the cup on a nearby dresser and getting the hell out of there.

The two watched him go, a little confused, before suddenly Naruto blushed as well, realization dawning. He ran a hand through his hair, not sure whether to laugh or run home before he was murdered in cold blood. "He thought we…" He looked at her, and seeing she was still out of the loop, he tried again. "He thought that _you_…"

Hinata blinked, still not getting it. Then she thought of the situation from Neji's point of view—half naked Naruto, her, sitting on her bed, eye-level with his...nether regions and seemingly pulling his pants down—and took her hands off of him so fast, she almost got whiplash.

Naruto did laugh then, loud enough that she had to shush him, lest someone walking by heard him. He just flashed her a foxy grin, his eyes twinkling in amusement.

"You're cute," he said affectionately, bringing her blush out for the umpteenth time that night. Then, giving her enough time to back away if she wanted to, he pressed his lips to hers.

Hinata couldn't think a coherent thought if she wanted to, not even when he pulled away. He told her that he was going to go, and that they would talk more tomorrow, but that barely registered. Even as he winked and climbed back into her vent, replacing the cover as if he had never been there, she was pretty sure she had just gaped at him like an idiot.

He had kissed her.

_He had _kissed_ her!_

Slowly coming back to reality, she resisted the urge to run around her room, shrieking like a fangirl. Instead, she plopped back on her bed, staring at her ceiling, dazed and disbelieving.

Naruto was interested in her! He had told her his biggest secret. He had kissed her. He thought she was cute. And, on top of all that, Neji had learned the importance of knocking.

She couldn't ask for a better day.

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**A/N: And ever since then, Neji knocks on every door, just to be safe. XD**

**Let me know. :)**


	2. In which things get very hot

**Update! ^_^ Okay, first I'd like to thank everyone who faved/reviewed! It's nice to know people are still sticking with me.**

**I would also like to address something. Because of the nature of this story, it will not be as funny (and definitely not as cracky XD ) as **_**Into the Future**_**. Life isn't always fun, people, and I unfortunately left a lot of characters in **_**Into the Future**_** with issues. That means, my friends, that I will have to spend some time letting these characters **_**sort out**_** these issues in this fic. There will still be plenty of fluffy/ridiculous/funny moments, just not necessarily of the same nature as in the previous fic. I hope that doesn't deter some people, but I honestly never intended for the fics to be the same.**

**Okay, let's get started!**

**I don't own Naruto. If I did, Choji wouldn't be nearly as awesome as he is in the latest chapters. Oh, my Cho-bear! You are the coolest! XD**

* * *

Down.

Up.

Down.

Up.

"Kakashi-sensei?"

Down.

Up.

"Is this really your hair color?"

Down.

Up.

"...Yes."

Down.

"This is the color you were born with?"

Up.

"Mmm-hmm."

Down.

Up.

"That's highly unlikely."

Pause.

"Sakura, your hair's _pink_."

She flushed in embarrassment, for the first time thankful that the blistering sun had already made her cheeks rosy. "It's still unlikely," she huffed.

From her position on his back, she couldn't see his face, but she could practically _feel_ his smirk. He resumed the pushups, clearly laughing at her expense. "Do you want me to prove it to you, Sakura-chan?"

She was laying on top of him, back to back, and now, as she felt her whole body burn at his insinuation, she was suddenly paranoid that he could too. She sat up. "Probably grayed early and doesn't want anyone to know," she muttered snidely, knowing full well that he could hear her.

He chuckled, pausing slightly to get used to the new distribution of weight. After a moment, he responded. "It's my father's hair."

Sakura blinked. Kakashi had never voluntarily talked about his _life_ before! "Father?"

"Yup," he replied, huffing.

She knew that he wasn't tired, however—it was only his five-hundredth pushup. He was hinting for her to drop the subject. "What's your favorite food, Kakashi-sensei?" she asked instead.

"Sakura," Kakashi said, deadpan. "We're training."

She rolled her eyes. "Well _excuse_ _me_ for trying to entertain myself as we train in hundred-degree weather. On my day off. And we both know how many of _those_ I get."

"Hm."

Sakura sighed, blowing the air upwards so her sweaty bangs could get a breeze. Both of them knew that she was just teasing—she loved the days she was free of the hospital and she and her ex-sensei trained together.

It had started simply enough. Being practically shackled to the hospital, Sakura hadn't been put on active duty in a while, and she was afraid of getting rusty. With Naruto training to be Hokage with Tsunade and Sai returning to Anbu, her old sensei was the only one left of her team that could help her out. She had asked him one day, as he peered over _Icha Icha Paradise_ at her, and he had agreed. Ever since then, without any more discussion, he always showed up at their favorite training field on her days off. And also since then, their relationship had transformed from "teacher-student" into "friends".

Sakura really did enjoy the time they spent together. Just not so much when it was effing hot and her training partner was having serious mood swings.

"Fine," she muttered indignantly, redoing her askew bun so the back of her neck could catch the nonexistent breeze. The next time Kakashi went down, she reached for her nearby pack and pulled a scroll out of it, activating it. "Might as well get some studying done."

Kakashi paused again at the sudden weight. "Hey…"

"If you're not going to talk to me," Sakura started snidely, balancing her heavy textbooks in one hand and tossing the scroll with the other, "then I have things I need to do." She knew that her books added a decent amount of weight on top of him, at least fifty pounds, and she smiled wickedly. "Think of it as extra training."

"Extra training?" he asked pleasantly, looking over his shoulder at her oh-so-_innocently_. "It feels the same as it always does. One thousand." One of his arms came up to rest on his back, and he continued his pushups, this time only balancing on the pointer finger of his remaining hand.

_Is he calling us FAT? _Inner Sakura raged. Sakura gritted her teeth. If it were Naruto or Sai, her fist would have already been acquainted with his face, but since it was Kakashi, and he _clearly_ wanted a rise out of her, she just planted the heaviest book she had on top of his head. "Don't drop it," she said sweetly. "Or you'll have to buy me lunch."

Kakashi didn't comment, concentrating on keeping a ten-pound book on his head steady.

Sakura balanced the rest of the books on his rear end, grabbing one and opening to a random page. She grinned in delight.

Revenge was sweet.

"Look at this, Kakashi-sensei!" she sang, laying back down, this time on her front. It had been too hot for Kakashi to wear his jounin vest, so instead it was his damp sleeveless black undershirt that clung to her tank top. His arm dug into her ribcage, but she paid it no mind, instead slinking her arms over either side of his head so that he would have no choice but to look at the book suddenly thrust into his face. "Crab lice," she said happily into his ear, carefully balancing the top of her feet on the books on his ass. "Aren't they _fascinating_? Look, they can even live on your eyelashes!"

Kakashi had noticeably paused again, but soon restarted without a word.

Sakura was undeterred. She turned the page. "Ooh," she chimed sympathetically. "Just remember, Kakashi-sensei, if it ever starts to look like _this_, it's time to come to the hospital."

He paused again, disgusted by the graphic picture of genital herpes being forced into his face. "Why are you showing me this, Sakura?"

"This is very valuable information, Kakashi-sensei," she chirped. "With as many lady friends as _you_ have, you need to know these things."

She could have kicked herself the moment the words were out of her mouth.

Her relationship with Kakashi involved a lot of teasing, and, with Kakashi being the way he was, innuendo was a given, but the subject of sex had never been _outright _brought out. Not only had Sakura just crossed that line, she had actually brought up the subject of _his sex life_!

_Stupid stupid!_ She despaired, her face once again getting hot. Her mouth hung open helplessly, not sure what to say to follow up _that_ doozy.

Even though she couldn't see his face, she knew he was laughing at her. _Laughing_ _at her!_ "Lady friends?" he prompted, a smile in his voice.

Well, now. She very well couldn't tell him that she frequently heard about his sexual escapades through the female grapevine, _now could she? _"I've known you for eight years," she said instead, "and I have yet to see you engage in a serious relationship."

He went down again, and Sakura found herself extremely aware of the way his back muscles rippled against her. "I could say the same about you," he replied turning his head slightly to look at her.

Their noses almost touched, and she felt her heart thud against her chest and her breath hitch unexpectedly and all she could think was _page 134 page 134 page 134 PAGE 134!_

But his eye crinkled into a smile, and she realized he was giving her an out. They clearly weren't ready for this conversation, and he was giving her the chance to casually end it. He knew, just like everyone else, the reason Sakura didn't date.

She opened her mouth, but never got the chance to respond. An Anbu soldier was suddenly standing next to them.

"Haruno Sakura," a familiar voice said authoritatively from behind its mask, "you have an assignment. You are to get cleaned up and report directly to the Hokage's office."

Sakura stared at her, annoyed. "Tenten. It's my day off. Shishou gave it to me herself."

Tenten sighed apologetically. However, she was under orders, and, like her former teammates, Tenten took her job seriously. "You are to get cleaned up and report directly to the Hokage's office."

"Do I have enough clearance to ask what this is about?" Kakashi asked curiously, still balancing on one finger.

The cat mask turned towards the copy nin. Tenten paused. "Yes. Uzumaki Naruto has retrieved the traitor Uchiha Sasuke. The Uchiha awaits his sentence."

The books hit the ground with a thud.

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**A/N: And we all know what happens after that—Sakura's chapter.**

**I have one thing to say to this: while writing this chappie, I actually looked up pics of STDs, and CRABS REALLY CAN LIVE IN YOUR EYELASHES! Seriously, wikipedia that shit! There was a picture, and I was oh-so-grossed out. I mean, what could you possibly be doing **_**to get crabs on your eyelashes?**_** Just sayin'.**

**Let me know what you think. ^_^**


	3. In which someone is oblivious

**Hello, my dear readers! =D Sorry for the wait; life got in the way!**

**Thank you soooo much for all of the reviews! I'm glad that people are able to enjoy this story, even though it is a little different from its prequel.**

**Okay, I don't have much to say this time, other than OMFG NARUTO IS GETTING GOOD OH MAN L/AKS;NFG;.**

**I don't own Naruto. If I did, there would have been a ShikaTema moment already. Come on, Kishi, I'm DYING HERE.**

* * *

There was something about her that was different—Kenji just couldn't put his finger on it.

Her looks were the obvious answer, what with her tanned skin, lightly freckled by the sun, and her intense cerulean eyes. Her hair was a plain brown, held in a spiky ponytail at the nape at her neck, but that was where her plainness stopped. Ferocity just seemed to radiate off of her, despite the slightly lazy way she carried herself.

"Go on," Ino-sensei gushed, clearly resisting the urge to glomp the girl in her giddiness. "Introduce yourself."

The girl sighed. "Nara Shikari. I just moved back here from Suna."

Ino-sensei squeezed her shoulder affectionately. "And we're glad you're back."

The girl smiled softly back, the hard edges of her face smoothing out. "Can I sit down now, ba-chan?"

"It's Ino-sensei," Ino reminded, pointing to the seat next to Kenji. "You can sit there."

She meandered her way over—clearly in no hurry, but each stride purposeful—and slid into the seat next to him.

Even without his Byakugan, he knew she was looking at him. He could feel her calculating gaze on his skin, could practically feel her breath. Kenji squelched the urge to play with the end of his braid and turned to meet her scrutiny. "Hi!" he said cheerily. "I'm Kenji."

She nodded in acknowledgement, still studying him.

Kenji would have found her strange, but he was the Hokage's son—and also had flaming red hair—and thus was used to being stared at. "Why'd you move?" he asked. "Suna's nice. I've been there a couple of times."

She blinked. "I'm from _here_."

His eyebrows scrunched in confusion. "How come I've never seen you before, then?"

She shrugged nonchalantly. "My parents had an extended mission there, so they took me with them. I've been gone a while." Her cerulean gaze finally lifted from him, seemingly satisfied, and she leisurely turned her attention to the front of the room. "Technically I have dual citizenship, but Konoha's my home."

Kenji tried to pay attention to what Ino-sensei was writing on the board, but it all looked like scribbley gibberish. The girl next to him intrigued him. There was still something about her, something he couldn't figure out, and he couldn't concentrate knowing that she was _right there_. Impatiently, he turned slightly back to her. "Hey," he whispered.

Her gaze flicked back to his.

"Does that mean you used to go to the academy in Suna? Is it like the one here?"

She shook her head. "I was homeschooled by my parents. Sometimes my uncles."

Kenji leaned towards her, interested. "So this is the first time you've gone to school?"

She smirked. "So nosy, Kecchan."

He started, but she didn't seem to notice, yawning widely and laying her head down on the table. "Hey, wait—"

"Kenji!" Ino-sensei barked, glaring at him. "Leave Shikari alone and pay attention!"

"Sorry, sensei," Kenji mumbled, too preoccupied with his thoughts to pay Ino any mind.

Only one person had ever called him that, and he hadn't seen her since…

He blinked. He had been five so...it had been six years. She had been a little girl with a sharp mind and a quick mouth. He grinned to himself. He used to have so much fun playing with her!

But one day she didn't come out to play, and she didn't the day after that, either. Or the day after that.

Kenji had always wondered what had happened to her. His mother had told him that she had gone on a vacation, but she never came back.

He smiled nostalgically. Shika-chan, his first love.

The new girl snored, loudly enough to wake herself up. She looked around sleepily, but, seeing no danger, lay her head back down.

Kenji leaned back in his chair, amused._ The new girl is so weird._

It would take the Hokage's son three weeks to connect the dots.

* * *

**A/N: **_**Someone**_** takes after their daddy in obliviousness. XD**

**Just a little drabbly thing. More insight later. ;D**

**Let me know.**


	4. In which dinner gets interesting

**What up, peeps? =D I know it's been a while, but it was final season...and now school's out! Yessss. XD**

**Okay, I don't have much to say this time. Thank you to everyone that review/faved/alerted. It means a lot.**

**Umm...this chappie takes place around the Shippuden timeline.**

**I don't own Naruto. If I did, the chapters would be hella long because it's **_**getting SO good!**_

* * *

It was silent at dinner. Servants served the different courses, clearing away the sullied dishes without a sound.

Neji ate mechanically, not tasting anything. Like his cousins, he kept his eyes downcast, stoically looking at his plate.

This was the way it always was. One did not speak unless spoken to.

He took a sip of his water, mentally going over the training session he had had earlier that day. He really had to work on his speed; Lee had actually gotten some decent hits on him, and Tenten had almost broken his nose with a greatly timed kick. He had to be getting soft—

To his left, at the head of the table, Hiashi cleared his throat lightly.

Three sets of eyes raised in anticipation.

"How is your training coming, Hinata?" the Hyuuga head asked, his full attention suddenly on his daughter. "I've noticed you've been training a lot lately."

It was only through years of practice that Hinata didn't shrink under her father's scrutiny. Carefully, she set down her chopsticks. "Well, otou-sama. I have been working on improving my stamina."

Hiashi nodded once with approval. He turned his pearly eyes towards Neji. "Would you say that she has been improving, Neji?"

Inwardly, Neji winced. He knew what situation he would be putting his cousin in if he answered honestly. However, he did not like to lie, and he had been covering for Hinata long enough—plus, it was only a matter of time before the truth decided to reveal itself anyway. He glanced at his cousin apologetically. "I wouldn't know, Hiashi-sama. It is not I that trains with Hinata-sama."

Hinata's eyes widened. She was panicking.

"Hinata?" Hiashi prompted.

"N-Naruto-kun," Hinata squeaked. "I've been training with Naruto-kun. Otou-sama, he has a lot of chakra and can really help me—"

"Naruto?" An eyebrow raised, surprised. "As in _Uzumaki_ Naruto?"

Hanabi, noticing her sister's distress, set her bowl of rice on the table loudly, effectively drawing attention to herself. "You know what _I_ did today? I handed Konohamaru his ass."

Hiashi sighed tiredly at his rowdy youngest child. "Hanabi. Language."

"Sorry." She looked sheepish, but Neji knew better. Where her sister was shy and timid, Hanabi was outgoing and manipulative. "It's just that that boy really needs to train more. All this talk about becoming the Hokage, and I can knock him on his behind in two seconds flat. Clearly he's the dead-last on my team."

Hinata glared at her sister.

"I wouldn't speak that way, Hanabi-sama," Neji spoke up. "Dead-lasts don't always stay at the bottom."

Hanabi suppressed a gag at way her sister's face softened. Then, looking at Neji, a small, sinister smile crept on her face.

The Hyuuga prodigy felt his blood freeze. That look in her eyes—it never turned out well for the person on the receiving end of it.

"I almost forgot, Nii-san," Hanabi said sweetly, her smile broadening. "This came in the mail today. I think it belongs to you." What looked like a photo appeared in her hands, and instead of handing it directly to him over the table—which was technically considered rude—she handed it to Hinata.

Who took one look at it and snorted.

Surprised at her own rude action, Hinata slapped a hand over her mouth. But another glance at the photo, and a second snort escaped, along with a suppressed giggle. Quickly, she thrust the photo at her father.

Hiashi took the photo, curious. He looked. And kept looking.

Seriously anxious now, Neji broke etiquette, leaning over to see what was so appalling.

A pair of feet, toes painted a deep violet, stared back at him.

"Oh," Hanabi chirped, an innocent look on her face. "These might be yours too." She passed around photo after photo. The same feet, this time the toes painted bubblegum pink. Electric blue. Yellow. Forest green. Silver with blue stars. In the mud, standing under a shower stream, on a lush bed of grass, strands between the toes.

With every photo, Hinata was closer and closer to being in hysterics. With every photo, Hiashi's eyebrows got closer and closer to his hairline.

With every photo, Tenten was closer and closer to being _a dead woman!_

"Why are you opening my mail, Hanabi?" Neji hissed, forgetting the honorific in his rage and mortification.

Hanabi looked back at him, strategically doe-eyed. "I didn't know they were for you, Nii-san. They were addressed to 'Snuggles'."

Neji resisted the urge to smack his forehead.

Hinata, who was still trying to remain as calm and composed as a Hyuuga should, was failing at it, and looked like she was about to have an epileptic fit.

Hiashi continued to stare at the photo in his hand.

"And 'Pooh Bear'," Hanabi continued thoughtfully. She lifted a hand, beginning to count on her fingers. "'Babycakes', 'Daddy', 'Hunky Monkey'—"

"I get the idea!" Neji all but yelled at her. He glared. "Are those all the photos?"

Hanabi smirked, satisfied that havoc was successfully wreaked. She held a photo loosely between her fingers. "There's just this one left."

Hinata didn't even bother looking at it this time. She passed it quickly to her father, trying to compose herself.

Neji, still impolitely leaning over his uncle to see the photos, felt his heart stop.

This photo was different from the others. It still contained the same feet. However, these feet were now covered in a familiar pair of heels, and while the previous photos only contained feet in the frame, this photo had a pair of fishnet-clad legs as well.

Hiashi stared.

Neji stared.

Hinata was remembering how to breathe.

Hanabi looked triumphant.

Hiashi placed all of the photos, neatly stacked, on the table, sliding them slowly towards his nephew.

Just as slowly, Neji reached for them.

Hiashi sighed, mumbling something that sounded strangely like "Snuggles" under his breath. "Neji."

All eyes turned to the clan leader at his suddenly serious tone.

His face looked solemn. "You're becoming a man, now. I think it's time we had The Talk."

Neji's jaw dropped in mortification.

"Meet me in my study after dinner." Satisfied, Hiashi turned back to Hinata. "_Uzumaki_ Naruto?"

* * *

**A/N: Let me know. ;)**


	5. In which fate is no longer questioned

**Yes! Update! ;)**

**Okay, a few things: 1.) To clarify, Neji does **_**not**_** actually have a foot fetish. Tenten just likes messing with him. 2.) Just in case you didn't remember the hooker heels, the feet in the pictures were Tenten's. 3.) You guys crack me **_**up**_**! All the jokes about Hinata and Naruto and their "endurance training. wink wink" had me literally lol-ing. (Also, a couple chapters back, someone made a comment about Naruto "sharpening his kunai" and thinking of Hinata. LMAO.) 4.)The Hyuugas are quickly becoming my favorite family. Sooo much fun to mess with. ;)**

**That's all for now, I guess! This is a little drabbley thing. More to come soon.**

**I don't own Naruto. If I did, we would have gotten to the *Spoiler* Sand Sibs vs. Sand Daddy (with possible ShikaTema action) fight already.**

* * *

He was losing.

He could no longer ignore it.

When she nagged at him, as she was prone to do, it was fairly easy to group her with every other female he had ever met. She was nothing special.

When he had seen her heading to the onsen with Tenten, he could squash his overactive imagination. It took a little effort, but he could do it.

When she smiled, the sharp angles of her face softening, her exotic eyes glowing happily—then, he usually could attribute the funny feeling in his gut to gas.

But the other day, when she had beaten him in shogi—_without cheating—_

He had a hard time pretending.

And even now, when she was doing nothing more than filling out paperwork, nibbling on the end of her pen, he could no longer delude himself.

"Dammit!" he cursed, looking at the ceiling in vain, knowing the gods were laughing at him.

Temari didn't even look up from the chuunin exams she was grading. "Do I even want to know?"

Shikamaru stared at his own barely graded stack. "Most likely," he mused.

An eyebrow went up, but she still didn't divert her attention. "Are you still upset that I beat you? It's just a game, Nara. Don't be such a baby."

He smirked at her assumption. He had been feeling a lot of things, but upset had not been one of them. "It's not that."

"Then spit it out," she barked. "We don't have time for twenty questions. You've barely started grading your half."

He was silent for a little while, watching her pen dance across the paper. Then, convinced his thoughts were in enough order, he finally answered her. "Shogi isn't bothering me. Self-fulfilling prophesies bother me."

That got her attention. The pen stopped, and he finally got to see her cerulean orbs. But a second later, she nonchalantly looked back down, her grading resuming. "Is that so?"

A small part of him regretted ever going over to Kiba's that night. He had thought that he would be able to prevent things he didn't like, but honestly, after seeing what his life _could_ be like, he had absolutely no urge to do so.

Sunlight filtered through the tree outside the window, causing shadows to dance across her skin. "That makes two of us then," she said, so softly he almost didn't hear it.

His eyes widened, his mind trying to process what she had just said.

She clicked her pen. "Done. Here, you need to sign off on these. I'm going to go turn these in."

He watched, still speechless, as she stood, handed him the papers, and then left the room.

Distractedly, he turned to the stack she had given him, picking up his pen and sloppily signing his name on paper after paper. He had probably been hearing things. She probably hadn't even heard what he had said; if she had, worse case scenario she would have yelled or hit him—or, most likely,_ both_. Best case scenario—

The sixth page in, next to where he would need to sign his name, a tiny set of numbers was written. Shikamaru's eyebrows furrowed. It looked suspiciously like coordinates. Coordinates...to the closet down the hall.

He grinned.

_So it begins._

* * *

**A/N: Let me know. ;)**


	6. In which someone is well taken care of

**Whoop! Got another update for you! :D**

**Not much to say, just thanks again for the favs/reviews. Oh, and this one is sort of different, but the idea had been bouncing around my head for a while. Hope you like it!**

**I don't own Naruto. (And you all should be grateful that I don't. There would be major DRAMA. XD )**

* * *

**_Ino and Choji_**

"Look how cute you look!" Ino cooed, readjusting the bow in the baby's hair.

Choji blanched. "She looks like she belongs on top of a cake, Ino."

"I know!" Ino squealed. "I could just eat her up!"

The one-year-old blinked, her tiny frame completely lost under the monstrosity of a dress she wore. She blinked around all the ruffles and bows.

Ino squealed again, taking another picture. Her camera was quickly filling with photos of her favorite little girl wearing over-the-top outfits.

Choji chewed thoughtfully. "You realize she's going to be livid with you once she's old enough to know better."

"We all have photos of ourselves from when we were younger that we might not like," Ino replied distractedly.

"And that Temari is going to kill you."

Ino rolled her eyes. "She's going to thank me one day. I'm documenting her daughter's life while she's on missions!"

Choji sighed. "Our babysitting privileges are probably going to be revoked."

Ino smiled slyly. "I guess that means you'll have to give me another baby to coddle."

**_Naruto_**

Sighing, Shikamaru handed his daughter over to Naruto. "Why do I think this is a bad idea?" he murmured to himself.

Naruto beamed, taking the baby enthusiastically. "Thanks, Shikamaru! I'll be real careful, I promise!"

"Yeah yeah," the shadow manipulator replied lazily. "Remember, if Temari ever finds out, we're dead."

Naruto shook his head vigorously, a look of horror on his face. Shikari looked up at him curiously.

"Okay then." Shikamaru yawned, walking to the door. "I'll be back in a couple of hours."

And with that, Uzumaki Naruto and Nara Shikari were left alone in the Hokage's office.

"Jeez," Naruto muttered to himself. He didn't doubt Temari's ability to murder, and him being dead greatly hindered his dream of being Hokage. "Let's not tell your mom, okay? It'll be our little secret."

Shikari gurgled happily, and Naruto took that as agreement. He grinned, tickling her cheek with a finger. "This isn't hard at all!"

The door to the office opened, and Tsunade slugged in, clearly hungover. "Oi, brat. Did you read those books that I told you—" She paused, noticing the extra person present for the first time. She sighed, her headache steadily growing. "What is this?" she asked tiredly, vaguely gesturing towards the intruder.

"I'm babysitting!" Naruto responded excitedly.

"Clearly." Tsunade finally made her way into her seat, rubbing her temples. "And does Nara Temari know that _you_ are babysitting her child? _Unattended_?"

Naruto scratched the back of his head with his free hand. "Eheheheh...about that…"

"I don't want to know," Tsunade interrupted. "The less I know, the better."

Naruto's face fell. "Baa-chan, I know that this is bad timing. I know you wanted to teach me more about being Hokage. But this was the only time that Shikamaru could let me have her for a little while! And how am I supposed to be a good father if I don't practice?"

Tsunade's face softened as she looked at him—the boy who grew up without a father, without a _family_, and yet had a pregnant wife at home and constantly worried about it. "You worry too much, kid," she mused, holding out her arms. "Give her to me. You won't be able to study with one arm."

Happy again, Naruto handed her over, babbling as he did so. "I only have to stay here for a little bit, Shikari-chan! Then we can go to the park or something! Thanks, baa-chan!"

"Don't call me that," Tsunade responded irritably. Her annoyance only grew as Shikari spit up, dripping a warm white goo all over Tsunade's front.

"Aww, I think she likes you!" Naruto piped up.

A large vein throbbed in the Hokage's forehead.

_**Gaara**_

"Ji-chan," Shikari smiled. "This is my boyfriend Yamamoto Jiro."

Gaara looked at the boy, his gaze unwavering.

Jiro seemed to wither under the Kazekage's stare. He gripped Shikari's hand tightly.

Gaara cocked his head slightly, earning a flinch from the boy. "Aren't you too young to be dating?" he asked his niece mildly.

Shikari rolled her eyes. "Ji-chan, I'm _sixteen_. Now are you going to be nice or not?"

Gaara's attention finally moved to Shikari. The boy visibly relaxed. _Wimp_. "I'll be nice."

"Good." She turned to her cowardly boyfriend. "See? He likes you," she whispered.

If it wasn't bad behavior for a Kazekage, Gaara would have snorted. The moment she realized how much of a tool this Jiro was, Gaara was pushing her towards the Uzumaki boy.

_**Shikaku**_

He was awake. He wasn't sure why, as his wife was still snoring beside him and a look outside his window confirmed that it was, in fact still night. And he was definitely still tired. He questioned the sanity of anyone who decided intruding on a Nara household during the night—with a full moon, no less.

So, all of these possibilities ruled out, Shikaku looked towards his bedroom door.

Just as he expected, little feet could be heard padding to the door, and soon a little face appeared. Shikari looked tired, but upset.

"Come here, little one," he said quietly, careful not to wake up Yoshino.

Shikari sniffled, the feet of her footsie pajamas making little sounds as she made her way to his side of the bed. "I had a scary dream," she whimpered in explanation. "Tou-chan and kaa-chan didn't come back."

"Now now," Shikaku responded, lifting her up and laying her onto his chest. "We both know they'll always come back for you."

"Really?" she sniffled into his neck.

As long as they were breathing, Shikaku knew that they would always be there, singing to her and teaching her and loving her. But, seeing as that was a little too morbid to say to a toddler, he answered simply, "Of course."

And, rubbing comforting circles into his granddaughter's back as she drifted back to sleep, Shikaku marveled at his luck in life.

_**Kankuro**_

"Okay," Kankuro started, looking down at his niece, "it's really simple. All you have to do is pretend you're my daughter."

"But why, Kan-chan?" Shikari asked, as curious as only a five-year-old could be.

"Because!" Kankuro replied as if it were the most obvious thing in the world. "Then the ladies would be all over me! Every girl loves a loving, paternal man."

Shikari glanced around at all the women in the market. "But I don't think they would like being lied to."

"They won't _know_ they're being lied to if we don't _act_ like they are." Kankuro looked at her pointedly. "Right?"

Shikari's eyebrows furrowed, her bottom lip sticking out prominently. "I thought you said that we would do something fun," she complained, her eyes starting to well up. "Not lie to people."

The puppet master immediately felt terrible. He knelt down to her height, ruffling her hair lovingly. "I'm sorry. You're right."

Shikari sniffed, tears threatening to fall.

Kankuro sighed, mentally kicking himself, and wrapped his niece into a hug. "Let's go get some ice cream, okay?"

"Okay," she said into his shoulder.

A civilian woman, having watched the entire exchange from a few booths over, approached them. She smiled shyly. "She's adorable," she said in greeting.

Kankuro stood, Shikari still in his arms. "Thank you."

The woman glanced at the little girl, whose face was still buried in her uncle's shoulder. "Is she your daughter?" she asked curiously.

"No." Kankuro smiled. "She's my niece."

The woman blushed. "Forgive me for assuming so. It's just...you were so _natural_ at it…"

Shikari smiled into her uncle's neck. "You're welcome," she whispered into his ear.

Kankuro's eyes widened in realization.

That girl was just too damn smart for her own good.

_**Yoshino**_

Temari was never afraid.

She was a warrior, always prepared to leap into the heat of battle, never worried, never nervous.

Now, however, Shikamaru could tell she felt all of those things. Now, she realized just how much she had to lose.

"Be good for your baa-chan, okay?" Temari kissed the top of her daughter's head, her eyes misting over.

Shikari blinked her doe eyes. Normally, she was a happy, giggly baby. But now, embraced in her father's arms, she looked at her parents with surprisingly serious expression.

Shikamaru obsessively smoothed her hair, trying to ignore the panic swelling in his chest. He listened as Temari nervously babbled, telling Yoshino when Shikari had last eaten, and they would be back as soon as they could, and to make sure to stay close to the guards.

Next to his mother, Tenten stood. Her wavy hair cascaded down her back, and she looked visibly upset. "You better come back," she snarled, unconsciously running a hand across the broad expanse of her belly and readjusting the red-haired baby in her arms. "If you don't, I'll never forgive you."

Neji's eyes softened. "I know." He leaned forward, brushing her lips with his. "Be safe."

Her bottom lip trembled. "I should be saying that to _you_, idiot."

An Anbu soldier appeared, warning them all that it was time to go. Neji nodded once in affirmation, and with a single glance to Tenten, darted out of sight.

It was too much for Tenten and her hormones—she burst into tears. Temari hugged her tightly, attempting to comfort herself as much as her friend.

A tugging on his vest brought Shikamaru's attention back to his daughter. She still looked serious, her little eyebrows knotted in a frown. "Bye bye?"

And it was then that he realized that, despite only being two, Nara Shikari completely understood that her parents might not ever come back.

Overcome with emotion, he kissed her in answer, quickly handing her to his mother.

Yoshino's face was carefully blank. "Don't worry about us," she said, rubbing comforting circles on the Tenten's back. "I'll make sure the little ones are okay. You just worry about coming home."

He nodded once, kissing his mother on the cheek.

Temari tightened her forehead protector, her expression hardening with resolve. "Let's go."

And then he was suddenly hit with determination, so intensely it almost hurt.

War would not tear his family apart.

* * *

**A/N: Not sure whether this war is the current war or a completely made up one...but it's definitely not canon. I actually think some good oneshots could come from this war...hmm... *author plots***

**Let me know. :)**


	7. In which someone loses it

**I know I just updated yesterday...but I couldn't help it! The plot bunny hit me hard, and luckily for you, dear readers, I churned this one out as well. Yes-ah! BABY! (Hana Kimi Japan Drama reference, anyone? =D )**

**Okay, first thing's first: thank you to everyone that reviewed the last chapter! I have a feeling this one will definitely give you something to say.**

**And random: I just read the new Naruto chapter and *Spoiler Alert* ZOMG THE GAARA/ZOMBIE DADDY FIGHT IS FINALLY HAPPENING! **_**AND**_** KISHI SHOWED TEMARI FOR THE FIRST TIME IN AGES, SO SHE MAY GET IN ON THE ACTION! *author flails about excitedly while letting out fangirl squees* And we all know Shika's still there, so maybe he'll help out too! Oh, that would make my life.**

**Okay. I don't own Naruto. If you can't tell from above, I'm clearly in too much of a fangirl state to.**

* * *

A few days after Sasuke's return, Sakura realizes something: she no longer knows what to do with herself.

It doesn't matter that she had been getting along just fine during the years he had gone rogue, that she had established a name for herself, that she was the Hokage's protege. Because in the end, when she thinks about it, her whole life revolves around Sasuke.

The only reason she had begged Tsunade to teach her was because she was sick of him leaving her behind. The only reason she had worked so hard—became so good at her job—was because she didn't want him to see her as pathetic, as a burden.

Her hair, although still shorter than when she was growing up, is slowly, but steadily, growing longer. It now reaches her shoulders, and is teasing with the idea of going lower. She keeps saying she needs to get a haircut, but she never does, and deep down she knows it's because she still thinks Sasuke would like it better this way.

Hell, she even keeps herself pure for him—choosing, despite Ino's teasing, to be abstinent. It has nothing to do with religion and everything to do with Sasuke. She wants to be able to completely give herself to him, to belong to him, and _only_ him, in both mind and body.

But now that Sasuke has made it crystal clear that he does not feel the same way, Sakura's life suddenly has no meaning. There is no one to wait for, no future to pine after, no one to get stronger for.

She is pathetic. She disgusts herself.

She has to regain control of herself, to stop living for_ him_.

* * *

This is the reason the first thing to go is her virginity.

She had never had a problem getting hit on, and all it took was her sitting alone in a bar, sipping a fruity drink through a straw, for the vultures to swoop down.

She decides on a decent looking man. He takes the time to have a conversation with her, and he doesn't constantly ogle her tits while he does it. Also, because Sakura made sure to choose a civilian bar, it is quite possible that he doesn't know who she is—and highly probable that she will never see him again. She likes those odds.

After a little verbal prodding on her part, she finds herself in a bathroom stall, Mr. Civilian's tongue jammed down her throat. He smells musty, and alcohol is prominent on his breath.

She suppresses the urge to gag. This is nothing like that other time. Nothing at all.

The whole ordeal is over rather quickly. While this would upset most girls, Sakura feels lucky, because she can't stand letting him touch her for one second longer.

In the end, he thanks her, leaving her alone in the bathroom. She takes her time rearranging her clothes, smoothing out the creases. She exits the stall and looks at her reflection in the mirror.

She is still disgusted with herself, and the disgust is quickly multiplying.

She walks to the apartment she shares with Ino. Luckily for her, her friend is out on a date with Genma, and thus isn't around to question her. She heads straight for the bathroom, strips, and stands under the showerhead. The water doesn't seem to ever get hot enough.

Sakura only leaves after she realizes that the water has gone cold. She heads straight for her bed, not even bothering to clothe herself before slipping between the sheets.

* * *

She blinks, and suddenly her alarm clock is going off and it is morning. Mechanically, she puts on her medic uniform. But when she gets a glance at herself in the mirror, she promptly gets back in bed and curls into fetal position. She calls Shizune, making up some shiteous lie about being sick. Had she been more herself, Sakura would have felt terrible about leaving Shizune to deal with the Hokage's wrath. Instead, she just goes back to sleep.

* * *

It's dark when she wakes up. Groggily, she makes her way to the bathroom to pee, and in the process of washing her hands, she once again sees her reflection. Despite all of the sleep she had gotten, dark rings are under her eyes, and her hair is a rat's nest.

Her eyes focus on her rosy strands. She doesn't really need it, she muses. It's _Sasuke's_ hair—and if he doesn't want it, what's the point?

* * *

Her hair is the second thing to go. She clips all of it with the trimming scissors Ino left lying around, pink littering the tiles, and when she looks in the mirror at the end, she still feels hollow.

When she exits the bathroom this time, Ino is there. She is sitting on the couch, her knees hugged to her chest, eyes puffy, nose red. She takes one look at Sakura and says, in a small voice, "Why didn't you let me help?"

And suddenly, Sakura is crying. She is sobbing, so hard that she can't breathe, so hard that she sounds like she's dying. And then she suddenly feels Ino's arms around her, and Ino starts crying again too, and they both cling to each other and cry.

When the tears finally go away but the pain doesn't, Ino picks up her phone and dials. "Tenny," she says, her voice hoarse. "Get dressed. We're going out."

* * *

**A/N: Cue Choji's future.**

**I feel terrible. Why must I do this to poor Sakura? :'( Well, Sasuke messed her up. **_**Real bad**_**. But alas, we all know there is a light at the end of the tunnel. She had to get over him somehow; it just wasn't pretty.**

**I know you have something to say. Let me know.**


	8. In which fiction becomes reality

**Okay! Don't have much to say, so let's speed through it! As usual, I'd like to say thanks to everyone who reviewed. You guys are great! Also, to whoever cares...BLEACH OMG a;knghtnklfwg**

**And just a sidenote to this chappie—when I first mentioned this couple in **_**Into the Future**_**, it was mostly for comedic purposes. But as I started writing this, I honestly started falling in love with them and the paring. Go me, I guess. Hahaha**

**There are many timeskips in this chappie—line break equals timeskip. Hope this doesn't confuse anyone.**

**I don't own Naruto, peeps.**

* * *

"Kiba." Hana's voice dripped with sweetness, but her eyes looked anything but. "What are you doing?"

Kiba glared at her from his seat across the small room. "Watching."

An eyebrow slowly went up. "I was the one who helped birth Akamaru." The eyebrow twitched. "I am also the one who has mended every single one of his legs after you broke them. I am the one who meticulously created an antidote for him when he was poisoned." Her second eyebrow joined the first in rising defiantly. "And _now_ you suddenly feel the need to watch me remove his fleas? Are you doubting my abilities?"

Kiba audibly swallowed. His sister could really be scary when she wanted to, and now was apparently one of those times.

But he couldn't leave! He had complete faith in Hana's skills; that wasn't the issue. The issue was—

"It would be best if you left now, Kiba," Shino said quietly. "It is time for the annual ninken flea removal. Akamaru is not our only patient, and we need to start the procedure if we are to be on schedule."

Kiba growled a little, a small vibration in his chest. Shino was his teammate, as well as one of his best friends. He trusted him with his life.

What the youngest Inuzuka _didn't_ trust Shino with was his sister.

_Look at her, smiling at him_, he thought disgustedly. A glance at Shino showed no visible change, but Kiba sneered anyway. _I bet he _likes_ her acting ridiculous! _He didn't understand how Shino could do this to him. What happened to the Bro Code? You don't go after your bro's sister unless he's cool with it, and Kiba was anything but.

"Kiba!" Hana growled, a canine showing menacingly. Akamaru whined, fearing for his master's life. "Get. OUT."

"Fine!" He was practically pouting. Backing toward the door, he mouthed to Shino, _I'm watching you._

Their eye-contact was only broken when Hana slammed the door in her brother's face. Turning back to her assistant, she snorted in amusement. "I'm sorry. It's just too fun to rile him up sometimes."

She couldn't completely tell because of the hood he wore, but it seemed like Shino was just as entertained as she was.

Hana readjusted her ponytail, making sure her long hair was well out of the way."Let me know when it starts to bother you. I can break up with you or something. He'll leave you alone."

"That will not be necessary. Masquerading as your love interest is of no consequence to me." Pretending to be interested in Hana was perfect payback—Kiba had stolen his glasses on the last mission. He had been forced to wear another pair, strategically placed, the entire trip home. Traveling for two days wearing bright pink glasses with star-shaped lenses made him look—and feel—ridiculous, and poor Hinata couldn't help but giggle every time she looked at him.

Shino put on his gloves with an audible snap. Perfect payback indeed.

Hana grinned at his reply, both of her canines showing this time. "Kiba's right, kid. You _do_ need to loosen up."

But if she was being honest with herself, she didn't mind the Aburame's sophisticated manner of speech at all. He was soft-spoken and always spoke formally, but Hana found this refreshing. It spoke volumes of his maturity level—he was the same age as Kiba, and yet on the complete opposite end of the spectrum.

Shino didn't respond, instead focusing his attention on Akamaru.

* * *

"You know, I don't think I've ever mentioned why I need to pretend to be interested in you," Hana mused. Their patient, a little black dog, wiggled impatiently.

"You have not," Shino answered, carefully sealing off a small jar containing flees. He would study them at home, figure out how they were evolving as a species, and report back to Hana the best way to protect the ninken from them.

Hana lifted her arm, using her shoulder to wipe at the sweat beginning to pool at her brow. The air conditioning was broken, and the exam room was starting to get sticky. "Kiba is really protective of me. Overprotective, you could even say." She laughed affectionately. "It's weird, because I'm the oldest—I should be protecting _him_. But after Tou-san left…"

The sudden change in mood was obvious, and Shino wasn't sure how to respond. Fortunately, Hana shook her head, seemingly shaking her thoughts with it. She glanced at him. "Aren't you hot?"

He was practically being cooked alive in his coat. Forgoing sharing this sadistic imagery, however, he merely replied with a curt nod.

"Well, why don't you take off your coat?" she asked incredulously. "I'm sweating just looking at you."

"Thank you," he responded, "but I am fine."

"I don't see what the big deal is." Hana combed more fleas into the jar she was holding. She winked at him. "Unless you're completely naked under there."

He could feel the flush creeping up his neck, but it luckily stayed hidden under his collar. "The kikaichu roam," he muttered, not looking at her. "Some people find it unsettling to see them moving under my skin."

Hana raised an eyebrow, correctly deciphering the _some people_ to mean _girls._ She scoffed. "That's ridiculous. We're ninja, for kami's sake. We've seen worse."

Shino started, surprised. But he really _was _hot, and he could feel his chakra slowly dissolving—extreme temperatures caused the kikaichu to go into survival mode, making them feed off of him more than usual. So, even though he knew what reaction it would invoke, Shino wordlessly took off his coat and set it on the chair.

At first Hana didn't react, too interested in what had just been revealed. Shino was wearing a sleeveless undershirt that displayed his lean body and muscled arms. She never would have guessed that _this_ was what was hiding under that coat all this time. Unconsciously, she stared at his arms.

And was surprised when the skin above one of his elbows rose, twitching before returning back to normal.

"Wow," she said, astonishment clear in her voice. Her eyes were wide, still staring at the same spot.

Shino felt a pang of disappointment. He had known this would happen—that she would see him as freakish. He longed for his coat. Without his coat as a security blanket, he felt utterly naked, and vulnerable. Despite this, he made no move to put it on.

The door opened and Kiba entered, a pitcher of ice water in his hand. When he saw that Shino's muscles were on display, however, his neutral expression quickly morphed into one of rage. "Dude, what the hell!"

"Oh shut it, brat," Hana snorted.

And then she smiled at him, genuinely, eyes warm.

He attributed the sudden rush of heat to the broken air conditioner.

* * *

The pug whined pitifully, his eyes begging for someone to come to his rescue.

Unfortunately, the roseate-haired girl he was looking at was immune to puppy-dog eyes. "No, Pakkun," Sakura sighed, readjusting her long hair into a bun at the nape of her neck.

Pakkun's face fell into a doggie pout. "But you know I hate the vet, Sakura-chan."

Sakura rolled her eyes. "Of course you do," she muttered under her breath. "You have fleas," she said louder, "and you've met Hana-san many, many times. You like her, remember?"

"Well, yeah," the pug retorted, "but that doesn't mean I like the vet."

"You're not alone in that, Pakkun," Hana laughed. "But if I may ask, Sakura-san...why do you have one of Kakashi-san's dogs?"

Sakura's face soured. "Shishou lost a bet," she grouched. "So of course _I'm_ the one that has to deal with it."

"Sakura-chan—"

"I said _no_, Pakkun!" she growled. "I tried giving you a bath like the other ninken, but your fleas are persistent, so we're just going have to let Hana work her magic, okay?"

Pakkun gave her a long look. "Kakashi was right. You _are_ scary," he mumbled to himself.

A vein in her forehead twitched. "Say what you want," she said through her teeth, "but if you think I'm letting you sleep in my bed with fleas, you're out of your mind."

Shino raised an eyebrow.

Sakura went as red as a tomato. "It's not what you—it's just—well, we're friends."

Shino wasn't sure whether she was referring to Kakashi or the dog, but continued to stare at her questioningly through his shades.

Sakura sputtered a few more incoherent sentences before deciding on "Shut up, Shino," and abruptly leaving the room.

Hana laughed. "What was _that_ all about?"

"I don't know," Shino replied, fighting the smirk that wanted to take over his lips.

Hana scratched Pakkun behind the ears, instantly calming the dog.

"Who is he?" Shino asked quietly.

Hana froze at the question, not looking up, and Shino's suspicions were confirmed.

"His name is Akihiko," she said softly, still not meeting his eye. "But we just started seeing each other, so nothing is set. I don't want Kiba to get upset and worried over nothing."

Shino nodded. Strange, his stomach was knotting up. His breakfast must not be agreeing with him today.

She finally looked at him, a tight, forced smile on her lips. "Let's not keep Sakura-san waiting."

* * *

The air conditioning was fixed. Even though his coat was back on, his hood was down, setting his unruly brown hair free.

Hana chewed thoughtfully. They had had a lull between patients and it was getting close to lunch time, so she had whipped up a couple sandwiches in the Inuzuka vet building's small kitchen. Now, as she ate, her gaze focused on Shino's glasses.

She understood his reasons for wearing the coat, but the glasses were a different story. They could, she mused, be used for missions. They hid emotion, made it hard for the enemy to read him. And then there was thought that wearing them, along with the oversized coat, was just what the Aburame clan _did_. But walking around that way, covered head to toe and wearing sunglasses, screamed, "Look at me! I'm up to no good!" and did nothing for the stealth factor.

"Is there something on my face?" Shino asked.

She blinked, startled out of her thoughts. "No, it's just…"

A slight movement under his collar caught her attention, and it was then that she realized he was messing with her, laughing at her. How could she possibly know if something was on his face if he kept it covered all the time?

Instead of elaborating, she leaned over the table, slowly reaching out. She waited for Shino to stop her, to say something or to move out of the way, but he didn't. And when she finally slipped those shades off, revealing the pretty gray eyes underneath, her breath caught.

They were close, her breath fanning across his cheeks and nose. Hana finally seemed to find her voice. "They say that eyes are the windows to the soul."

Shino blinked, and Hana was fascinated by the sight of his dark eyelashes fluttering. Regaining her common sense, she leaned back in her seat, no longer invading his personal space. "You always get to look at _my_ soul," she continued, setting the sunglasses on the table. She winked. "It's only fair."

* * *

Hana opened the door. A look of surprise crossed her face. "What are you doing here, Shino?" she greeted, sounding pleased. "We weren't supposed to meet today."

"I know," Shino replied quietly. "But it is past lunch time, and I knew you probably hadn't eaten yet."

For the first time, Hana spotted the picnic basket in one of his hands. She grinned, delighted. "You made this?"

"I am sure it will not be as delicious as _your_ cooking"—he fidgeted a little—"but I hope it will be adequate."

He had taken time out of his day off to make and bring her lunch, and had even brought a blanket for them to sit on. Hana flushed happily, putting a hand on his arm. "It is _more_ than adequate," she said firmly. "I don't need to taste it to know that."

* * *

Hana didn't bother looking up from her paperwork, a small smile gracing her lips. "You're a little early today, aren't you?"

"Sorry," an unfamiliar voice answered.

She looked over her shoulder, startled. A female Aburame looked back at her from behind her dark specs. "Where's Shino?"

"On a mission," the woman answered, surprised. "I'm supposed to help you in his place. Did you really not know?"

Hana shook her head dismissively, feeling like an idiot. Of _course_ he was on a mission. _Kiba_ was on a mission. Shino was on the same team as Kiba. One plus one equals…

She shook her head again. At some point, she had stopped thinking of Shino as her kid brother's teammate. At some point, she thought of him as more.

She just wasn't sure what yet.

* * *

"Hmm." Kiba paced around the campfire, apparently deep in thought.

Hinata, sitting on a log, looked on worriedly. "Is everything alright, Kiba-kun?"

Kiba stared blatantly at Shino, a calculating look on his face. He kept pacing.

Shino pretended he didn't notice.

Hinata watched as Kiba continued his tread, ignoring any attempts she made at pacifying him. Finally, he made a dead stop in front of Shino.

Shino looked up at him from his seat, acting as if Kiba's antics hadn't effected him in the slightest. "Is there something I could assist you with?" he asked pleasantly.

Kiba's face was blank. "My dad walked out on us when I was six," he said matter-of-factly. "And my mom's never been the same. She acts tough, but she never recovered from that."

The mood was immediately tense and serious. Neither Hinata nor Shino said anything.

Kiba ruffled his hair distractedly. "I don't want that for Hana. She deserves so much more." His eyes were sharp, determined. "So I approve."

Shino blinked, confused. "Sorry?"

"You're one of my best friends," Kiba elaborated. "My teammate, a member of my pack. If there is anyone I trust to love her, and to treat her the way she should be treated, it's you."

If it weren't against his nature, Shino's jaw would have touched the ground. Instead, he sat there, stunned mute.

"I trust you." Kiba was turned away now, embarrassed. He paused, looking at Shino over his shoulder.

"If you _do_ hurt her, though, I'm kicking your ass."

* * *

As he lay in the grass, coat off and eyes cast at the sky, Shino suddenly understood Nara Shikamaru entirely.

"Why are we here again?" Hana asked. Her long hair, free of restraints, ruffled gently with the breeze.

She was so beautiful, so relaxed and carefree, that Shino was almost distracted enough not to answer. "You have been overexerting yourself lately."

Shino's job was done—he had found the strand of DNA that had mutated. Now, it was all up to Hana to use this information to make the vaccine. Even though he no longer needed to, Shino still showed up every day, sometimes with lunch, sometimes just to talk or to force her to take a break.

Hana raised an eyebrow, amused. "I don't know what else you want me to do. The repellant vaccine needs to be done."

"The dogs are already itchy; they can wait another afternoon," he replied. "Now lay down."

The corner of her mouth twitched in amusement as she lay down next to him, sighing as if what he asked of her was difficult.

For a while, neither of them spoke, watching the clouds lazily crawl by. Then, softly, Hana broke the peace.

"I'm getting married."

Even as his heart sped up and his throat started to close, Shino didn't understand. He turned his head to face her. "My apologies. I did not quite understand your meaning."

Abruptly, Hana sat up. Her hair had pieces of grass in it, and she no longer looked carefree—she looked more like a caged animal, nervous and ready to lash out. "You're the first person I've told," she continued quickly, the words involuntarily spilling out like vomit. "Not even my family knows. Akihiko asked me last night."

Shino sat up as well, much more slowly than she had. "But you have only been dating for a few months."

"Three!" she said defensively. For some reason, she _needed_ Shino to be okay with this. "He is a Chuunin, so I know that we could support ourselves. And he really loves me."

"What about you?"

"What?"

If his glasses were off, she would be able to see the swirl of emotions in his eyes. "How do you feel?"

"I care about him too!" she snapped.

"And you do not feel like you are moving too quickly?"

"Shino." She took a breath, slowly letting it out between her teeth. "We're shinobi. There is no telling how much time we have left." Her eyes softened. "You have to _live_, Shino. Live while you're still alive."

And oh, did he want to _live_. His body was no longer a host to just the kikaichu—a whirlwind of emotions was now there as well, enveloping him. All he wanted to do was say what was threatening to explode out of him, what had been bubbling and growing in him the past few months.

But if she was happy, he was not going to ruin it for her.

He managed to get a "Congratulations" to pass through his lips. Mechanically, he stood.

He walked away.

* * *

Shino stopped visiting after that.

* * *

Hana studied the tomato, judging whether it was ripe enough to buy. The market bustled around her, civilians and shinobi alike all trying to get a great deal.

It was a little hard, but Hana figured that since she was going to make a sauce anyway, it wouldn't matter much. _Just add more seasoning, _she reasoned with herself. Besides, Kiba would eat it no matter _how _hard the tomatoes were. In fact, she had just seen him eat a discarded sandwich off of the side of the road the other day. The boy was disgusting. _He does have a pretty good immune system, though._

Chuckling to herself and satisfied with the quality of the tomatoes, she looked around for the old woman who owned the cart. Instead, she was greeted by the sight of Shino.

He had been walking by, only a few feet away from her. She smiled, giving a little wave. "Hey."

But instead of stopping to talk to her, he kept walking, nodding at her in acknowledgement.

Hurt burned through her, and she dropped her hand, embarrassed.

_I thought we were friends._

"Can I help you, dear?" the old woman asked kindly.

Hana just handed her the tomatoes.

* * *

"Man, I'm _starving_!" Naruto moaned, clutching his stomach with both hands for emphasis. "Let's go to Ichiraku!"

Shino sighed internally. He was not in the mood for ramen, but going out with Naruto always ensured it. He should have seen this coming.

"You always go to Ichiraku," Choji argued. "I want barbeque!"

"And _you_ always get barbeque," Shikamaru pointed out.

Choji puffed his cheeks out, annoyed. "Why are you here again?"

Shikamaru looked at the sky longingly. "I was going to go cloud watching, but when I got to my favorite spot, Kiba's sister was already there."

"What's the matter, Shikamaru?" Naruto teased. "Don't like sharing your hill?"

Shikamaru sighed. "It's not that. She was crying. I don't think _she_ wanted company."

Choji nodded in understanding. "Yeah, I probably would have left too. I never know how to handle it when a girl cries. Wait...Shino, where are you going?"

Shino didn't answer. Instead, he continued running in the opposite direction.

"_Man_ that kid is weird," Naruto muttered.

* * *

She was right where Shikamaru had said she would be.

He had been very careful to stay out of her way these past few months, knowing that he might say something they would both regret should he be around her too long. She was happy, and she certainly didn't need him and his feelings screwing everything up.

But just the thought of her being unhappy was all it took to bring him to her.

She didn't even react as he sat down next to her, her red-rimmed eyes staring out into the distance.

Shino sat quietly, pretending not to notice when she wiped hurriedly at her eyes.

"I am no longer engaged," she announced, still not looking at him.

He felt conflicted. Although this new information caused hope to trickle into his system, it was bittersweet. It hurt to see her hurting. "What happened?" he asked quietly.

She chuckled bitterly. "He got a civilian pregnant, is what happened."

He was suddenly enraged. He had never even met this "Akihiko", didn't even know his last name, and yet he was filled with the overwhelming urge to kill him. He turned to her, his body rigid with fury. "Would you like me to send him to the hospital?"

She laughed—a small laugh, but a laugh nonetheless. She wiped her eyes again. "You're a little late. Kiba already sent him there." She finally turned to look at him, her eyes glinting mischievously. "And I may or may not have convinced Sakura-san not to give him any pain medication."

He smiled at her, amused, and was once again struck by how beautiful she was, even now. "That is unfortunate. I may have to pay him a visit."

Hana smiled back, a sudden shyness causing her to avert her eyes.

And the words bubbled up in him again, threatening to spill out. He tried desperately to swallow them, but some still burst forth.

"Hana, I—"

She turned to him again, and the sight of her puffy eyes was enough to halt any more words. "I apologize," he said instead.

And, smiling, Hana accepted the apology, along with all of its meanings. Reaching over, she once again removed his glasses, looking straight into his eyes. "It's only fair," she whispered.

He nodded, a visible blush on his cheeks. There was a time and place for his feelings, and now was neither the time nor place. So, looking deep into her soul and allowing her the same privilege, he asked quietly, "Deworming season is coming up, correct?"

A hug was his answer.

* * *

**A/N: Sigh. Possible new OTP? XD**

**Let me know. :)**


	9. In which dinner gets more interesting

**What up, peeps! :D As usual, I would like to thank everyone for the reviews! I'm really glad you liked the last chappie, and that I seemed to convert so many of you to ShinoHana (as well as myself. That was a total WTF moment, let me tell you. I didn't know it was possible to convince yourself to like a pairing. XD). **

**Okay, a little random, but since this person decided to be cowardly and flame me anonymously, I'm going to say this here. "J" reviewed **_**Into the Future, **_**saying "for some retarded reason your naruto is even more retarded than pre time skip naruto, and that's saying something. You seems to be the type to watch the first part, and after all the idiotic attempt of kishimoto at comedy ends, you leave it. Plus, your vision of a relationship is at best pitiful. fail"**

**To which I have to say this: That fic was complete CRACK, dumbshit. Thus, I can make Naruto as stupid as I want him to be (which I only did for comedic reasons. Because the story was **_**crack). **_**Also, for your information, while I have not seen all of the anime episodes, I have read every single chapter of the manga, thus making me more knowledgeable than **_**you**_**, troll. Your attempt at a flame is at best pitiful. FAIL.**

**Now that that is out of the way...Let's get started!**

**I don't own Naruto. If I did, Naruto wouldn't be pulling all of these Jesus-jutsus from nowhere. Seriously, it's getting a little out of hand. (Also, Itachi would get loads more screen time, because I totes just noticed how awesome and hot he is...*author cowers in corner in shame***

* * *

"I apologize for this," Neji muttered, his body tense with nervousness.

Tenten winked at him. "Don't worry about it! It'll be a piece of cake."

Neji wasn't so sure. A couple nights before, he had been summoned into Hiashi's study, only to be told that the Hyuuga head wanted to invite Tenten to dinner.

As usual, Neji had followed orders, and Tenten, probably more persuaded by the thought of a free meal than by helping her teammate, agreed. Now, she stood in the Hyuuga Compound, wearing the only formal kimono she owned, and while she seemed nonplussed, Neji was filled with dread.

Nothing good could come from this dinner.

He couldn't understand why Hiashi had insisted on Tenten's attendance, as he had met both of Neji's teammates before. Neji frowned. It almost felt as if he were presenting a girlfriend to his family. He felt his cheeks warm slightly at the thought, wondering if this was the angle Hiashi was playing at. It didn't make sense, as he and Tenten were not dating.

Noticing him lost in thought, Tenten pinched one of his cheeks, grinning. "What's wrong, Snuggle Muffin? It's just dinner."

"Tenten." His pale eyes pierced into her brown ones, showing her how distressed he really was. "I need you to be serious."

"Chill out!" Her smile faded a little, indicating she wasn't as nonchalant as he thought. His nervousness was starting to weird her out. "I'll be on my best behavior."

Neji sighed. "You know I didn't mean it like that—"

"It's fine," she interrupted, smoothing out a crease in her kimono. "How do I look?"

She looked quite nice. Her hair, although still in its customary style, had jeweled barrettes pinning her bangs out of her eyes. Her kimono was ivory with pink plum blossoms, and it brought out the glow of her skin beautifully.

Instead of telling her this, however, Neji just nodded once in approval. "Acceptable."

Tenten scoffed, giving him a little shove for good measure. But she could speak Neji—and "acceptable" in Neji meant she was looking _damn good. _She looked at the building resolutely. "Okay. Are we going to go in or what?"

* * *

Tenten idly stirred her soup, highly uncomfortable with the silence. After she was introduced to the Hyuuga head, they had all sat down at the table. As expected, Hiashi sat at the head, with Hinata to his left and Neji to his right. Tenten sat on Neji's other side, across from Hanabi. But aside from the servants bringing in the tea and soup, the room was completely silent. Not for the first time, she wondered what the fuck she was doing there.

"Thank you for joining us for dinner, Tenten-san," Hiashi said suddenly, gracefully setting down his teacup. This prompted the younger Hyuuga to raise their gazes from their plates. "I understand it was such short notice."

"Thank you for having me, Hiashi-sama," Tenten replied politely. She cocked her head to the side curiously. "But if you don't mind me asking, why have you invited me?"

"He wants to interrogate you," Hanabi said frankly.

Hiashi sighed, resting his head on the heel of his hand. It was going to be one of _those_ nights. "Hanabi," he said tiredly, more at her lack of tact than the fact that she had talked out of turn.

Hanabi smirked in return. "Don't worry, otou-sama. _I got this_." Seemingly out of nowhere, she pulled out a scroll, which she proceeded to unroll.

Tenten raised an eyebrow at this turn of events.

"Okay, first thing's first. What is your clan name?" Hanabi's pale eyes looked at her curiously.

"Hanabi-sama!" Neji hissed, looking for Hiashi to stop this madness. Unfortunately, Hiashi, interested in the answer, decided to stay silent.

"It's okay." Tenten waved Neji off. "I have no clan, nor a name."

"You don't have to talk about this if you don't want, Tenten," Hinata said softly.

Tenten shook her head, refocusing her attention on Hanabi and Hiashi. "I'm an orphan," she stated matter-of-factly. "I was born in Konoha, but I'm told my parents weren't. They were just visiting when I was born, and when they left, they left without me."

That was apparently not the answer Hanabi was expecting. "Oh."

"Yup," Tenten replied cheerfully. She felt no need to dwell on the past, and had long since stopped feeling sorry for herself.

"Do you have any kekkai genkai?" Hiashi asked.

"Not that I know of." Tenten grinned. "I'm really good at throwing shit, though."

Neji's jaw dropped. You were _not _supposed to use profanity around Hyuuga Hiashi. Ever.

But while Hiashi raised an eyebrow in surprise, he did not seem to be scandalized.

"Well, things like kunai and shiruken," Tenten elaborated thoughtfully. "Not actual shit. Although I'm sure I would beast at throwing that too."

Hinata snorted, covering her mouth with her hand demurely. Neji was not nearly as amused.

Hanabi seemed to be taking notes on her scroll. "_No kekkai genkai_," she murmured, and, stopping her scribbling, she looked back up. "Okay, next question." Her pale eyes bore into Tenten's. "What are your intentions with my cousin?"

"Hanabi!" Neji snapped, once again looking at Hiashi. Unfortunately, Hiashi had been wondering this exact question, and felt no need to interfere.

Had his entire family _gone mad_?

Tenten looked unperturbed at this question. "He's my teammate."

Hanabi frowned, clearly expecting a more direct answer. "Is it true that—"again out of nowhere, she pulled out the pictures of painted toes—"these are your feet?"

Neji flushed. Where did she get those? He was sure he had hidden them in his room for...er...safekeeping.

A single eyebrow rose. "Those are mine."

"And why, may I ask, are you sending nii-sama pictures of _your feet_?" Hanabi pressed.

Tenten grinned. "Inside joke," she replied, winking at Neji. "Also, photography is kind of my hobby."

"Really?" Hinata asked, surprised.

"Yup! Wanna see?" Without waiting for an answer, Tenten plopped what looked to be her portfolio on the table, sliding it in Hiashi's direction.

The two Hyuuga women stood, eager to look at the book over their father's shoulders as he flipped through the pages.

Neji turned to Tenten questioningly. "Why were you carrying that around?"

She looked at him as if he were stupid. "I always carry it on me."

"Ooh!" Hiashi said appreciatively, pointing to a picture of an adorable kitten. The next page held a pretty sunset, the next a field of flowers, the next...a sleeping Neji.

"Whoops," Tenten giggled nervously, reaching over to flip page after page. "These are for me."

Everyone watched awkwardly as she went through picture after picture with Neji as the subject. Sleeping, training, looking into the distance.

Neji blushed again. He had never had any indication that Tenten was talking pictures of him. Clearly she was getting better at stealth.

"Why are so many of nii-sama?" Hanabi asked, her eyes narrowing suspiciously.

Tenten scoffed. "I don't know if any of you have noticed, but Neji's a total bishie."

"What?" Neji exclaimed.

"I've noticed," Hinata admitted quietly. "Sometimes, I think he's prettier than _me_."

Hiashi nodded sagely. "Such is the fate of the Hyuuga men."

"He makes a very good subject," Tenten said matter-of-factly, pointing at a picture of Neji in mid-Juuken. "Notice the way his hair flows in the wind."

Neji watched in horror as everyone nodded in agreement, Hiashi even mumbling, "It does have an air of mystique."

Hanabi returned to her seat, once again picking up her notes. "_Finds him attractive_," she said slowly as she wrote the words down.

"Hanabi!" Neji yelled, embarrassed beyond belief.

Hanabi ignored him, deciding to pull out the big guns. "Did you not, on the fifth of September, tell Hina-nee, and I quote, 'I just want to have hot monkey sex with Neji'?"

Hinata choked on the tea she was drinking, surprised that her sister had been spying on them.

If Neji had lacked the grace naturally given to the Hyuuga, he would have fallen out of his chair. But since he _was _Hyuuga, he settled for gaping like an idiot.

Tenten, on the other hand, did not seem surprised or embarrassed. "I did," she replied challengingly. She looked at the ceiling thoughtfully. "But it was more of an expression."

Hanabi pursed her lips. "An expression?" she repeated disbelievingly.

"Ask any girl on the street. She will undoubtedly say the same," Tenten said, nonchalantly taking a sip of her soup.

"So you _don't_ want to jump my cousin's bones?" Hanabi pressed.

"Was it you that I saw stalking Kiba this whole week?" Tenten countered.

Hanabi smirked. "Touché," she murmured, writing more on her scroll. "_Willing to make baybehs._"

"Kiba-kun?" Hinata asked, surprised.

"It was research," Hanabi replied distractedly. She smiled at Tenten. "Okay! I approve."

Neji officially had no idea what was going on. "What?"

"I like her," Hanabi repeated slowly, as if he were a particularly dimwitted child. "I think you two would make a good match."

"Me too," Hinata said softly.

Neji flushed for the umpteenth time that night. "I really don't think it's up to you whether—"

"All in favor?" Hanabi interrupted, throwing her hand in the air.

"This is not a matter that can merely be voted on—Tenten, put your hand down!" he yelled, finding his teammate's hand in the air along with all of his family members'.

"Looks like you've been outvoted, pooky-bear," Tenten said cheerfully.

Clearly, Neji was the only one in the room that had all his marbles.

"Tenten," Hiashi started, holding up a photo of a puppy running through a sprinkler. "May I have a copy of this?"

Why they could never have a normal dinner, Neji would never know.

* * *

**A/N: I heart me some Hyuugas. Too much fun. XD**

**Let me know.**


	10. In which there are no regrets

**Thank you guys for all the love! :D I know I just updated, but here's a little drabbley thing that wouldn't leave me alone. Hope you enjoy!**

**I don't own Naruto. If I did, it would be a cracky, angsty mess.**

* * *

He watched, silently, as she mulled over the fruit selection.

She wore a simple yellow yutaka, the color bringing out the rosy hue of her short hair.

The length suited her, he mused. It framed her face, bringing attention to her bright green eyes and the forehead she had long since grown into. It was a far cry from their genin days.

He watched as a little boy, no older than five, ran up to her, a piece of candy in his hand. Her attention was instantly on the boy, her eyes softening as she lovingly kissed the top of his silver head.

He watched as she took the hand of the boy that would have been his son.

"Tou-san," a small voice peeped, and he turned to look upon his oldest, Shuichi. "What are you looking at?"

"Nothing," he murmured, taking his son by the hand and leading the way. "Nothing at all."

* * *

She watched, silently, as he browsed the merchant's selection of weapons.

He had on the standard green vest most chuunin and jounin wore, a navy blue shirt underneath. His hair was longer than when they were growing up, but shorter than when he was finally brought home.

It suited him, she mused. It was a far cry from their genin days.

Her gaze shifted to the little boy beside him, no older than four. He had married a civilian woman, one who didn't care that he would never love her—because she shared the same sentiment, and only wanted his name. The little boy, with his dark hair and dark eyes, looked just like his father.

He would have been her son.

She looked away, intently studying the fruit in front of her instead.

"Kaa-chan!" a little voice called happily.

She turned, instantly gratified seeing her little boy run to her, candy in hand.

She wouldn't have it any other way.

"Where did you get that?" she asked, kissing the top of his head.

"Ino-ba-chan gave it to me!" he replied excitedly, putting his hand on her relatively flat belly. "Can the baby eat candy?"

"Not yet, Obito-kun," she laughed, taking his hand in hers. "Not yet."

* * *

**A/N: Let me know. ;)**


	11. In which 1 plus 1 equals 3, part 1

**Hello, all! It's been a while! Sorry I haven't been able to update in a while. School literally went HAM on me, and although I've had many ideas running through my head, I haven't had the time to write them down!**

**Okay, a few things. As always, thanks for all the love. :) Also, this chapter is only a half of a whole thought I was having. I was going to wait until I wrote the whole thing, but then I figured I hadn't updated in a while, so I should just post it.**

**And on a completely different note, Uchiha Madara is in the running for being the sexiest BAMF I've ever seen. Seriously, I've never been attracted to an Uchiha (or a zombie, for that matter) before, but dude is freaking awesome. I would totally be fine watching him beat up Naruto for a good fifty chapters. Yum.**

**AND, Naruto and Hinata meet again! And he remembers her love confession, even though it was at least eight bajillion chapters ago! kln'gpor;lm DEAD.**

**...Okay, after all that fangirling, I guess I should remind you that I don't own Naruto.**

* * *

**Temari**

It had been a while since she had been here, she mused. A good three months.

Gaara had sent her out on a mission, and even after she got back, she had gotten caught up in her duties in Suna.

It wasn't the longest amount of time that they had been separated—they both understood that loyalty to their countries took precedence over their relationship. But... that didn't mean that Temari didn't miss his lazy ass.

Smiling to herself, she slowly opened the window to his bedroom, noting he was fast asleep on the bed. As quietly as she could, she slipped into the room, intent on joining her lover.

Warning bells sounded in her head—someone was behind her. Reflexively, her hand snatched a kunai from her thigh holster. Her weapon connected with her attacker's throat at the same time his hers, and she would have killed him if a familiar voice hadn't said in her ear, "Temari?"

"What the hell, Nara?" Temari fumed, dropping her hand and turning to face him. "Why did you attack me? I almost killed you!"

Shikamaru frowned at her, setting the weapon back on his nightstand. He had almost killed her as well.

"I can't even get a 'welcome home, honey!' No, I get a kunai to the neck," she continued to rant. "I can't believe—"

"Your chakra felt different," he interrupted, lightly wiping at the line of blood beginning to appear on her neck. "I'm sorry."

She blinked, confused. "What do you mean, my chakra felt different?"

Shikamaru winced, his own neck beginning to sting. One more second and his head would have been hanging on by a thread. "It's still your chakra signature," he elaborated. "I realize that now. But something is a little off."

"That's impossible! The only way that can happen is—" Her eyes widened.

"What?" Shikamaru yawned, scratching the back of his head. His hair, as it usually did while he slept, ran free of restraints. "Don't worry about it."

"Oh my god," she breathed, her eyelashes fluttering in shock. Mentally, she counted. "_Oh __my __god._"

"Don't worry about it," Shikamaru said again, taking one of her hands in his own. "It's not a big deal. Let's just go to bed."

"_Not __a __big __deal?_" Temari screeched, snatching her hand back. "How can me being pregnant _not __be __a __big __deal?_"

Shikamaru froze. He seemed to stop breathing. "Pregnant?" he repeated slowly. "Are you sure?"

Temari ran a hand through her hair, frustrated. "I exercise too much for my period to be regular, so I never noticed. But a chakra signature changing—that's a sign, though it doesn't happen until the second trimester." She grimaced. "God, and I thought I was just coming down with a bug—"

At first, Shikamaru didn't seem to react. Then, he grinned crookedly, pulling her to him. "Really?"

"No," she huffed sarcastically, pushing herself out of his embrace, "I just made all that up for fun. And _stop __smiling_. It's not funny."

Shikamaru attempted to make a more serious face, but failed. "Our wedding's in two months, Temari. What does it matter?"

"Exactly," she retorted. "I'll be showing by then. I'm not getting married in front of all those people looking like that!"

"Then we'll go to Tsunade tomorrow." He reached for one of her hands, intertwining their fingers. "We can get legally married tomorrow."

Temari's face softened, her blonde eyelashes fluttering slightly. "You mean that?"

"Of course I mean it," Shikamaru replied. Slightly embarrassed, he rubbed the back of his neck. "I would marry you right now."

She smiled, a happy flush adorning her cheeks. "But I need to have the big wedding in Suna. I'm the Yondaime Kazekage's daughter, the Godaime Kazekage's sister. It's required of me."

"You can still have it." Gently, he pulled her towards the bed, sliding her tessen off her shoulders and untying her obi. Her kimono fluttered to the ground, and she stood proud and unashamed in front of him, naked save her underwear. "We can have the formal ceremony whenever you're ready."

She watched as he climbed into the bed, patting the spot next to him in invitation.

_Kami_, she loved him.

Temari joined him without hesitation, smiling when he placed a chaste kiss on the back of her neck and his strong arms enveloped her.

And when his hand settled on her belly, she had to fight the urge to cry.

* * *

**Sakura**

It felt as if she had been electrocuted.

Being a medic, she was acutely aware of her entire body. She knew before she got sick when a virus had infected her; she could tell when she pulled a muscle before the pain set in.

Now, however, Sakura couldn't tell what was different—she just could feel that something _was_.

The body spooning hers shifted. "What's the matter?" Kakashi murmured drowsily against her neck.

"Nothing," she replied. But as she spoke, her chakra was searching her body for what was foreign. And when she found it, she froze.

It was _impossible_. She always made sure she knew when she was ovulating, and she _always_ used chakra to block entry into her fallopian tubes if she knew they were going to be...intimate.

_Always?_ her mind whispered.

Sakura stiffened, mouth agape in realization. _She __forgot!_ An hour before, Kakashi had done that thing with his tongue...and _she __forgot!_

Kakashi, feeling the sudden rigidity of her body, leaned over to peer at her curiously. "Sakura?"

She could only look at him stupidly. She had just felt herself get impregnated. _She __was __pregnant_. With _Kakashi__'__s_ baby.

She didn't even know if he _wanted_ kids.

He looked concerned now, the tomoe of his Sharingan slowly spinning. She knew he could probably hear her heartbeat accelerating.

Sakura flinched as he reached out to touch her, immediately regretting the action as he slowly withdrew his hand. She averted her eyes so she wouldn't have to see the hurt on his face.

"Sakura?"

"I have to go," she choked out, scrambling out of his arms and quickly picking up her haphazardly thrown clothes.

He sat up, his face eerily blank. "Are you sure?"

Sakura nodded, almost violently, slipping her shirt back on.

Because it was not okay.

Whatever she had with Kakashi—friends, friends with benefits, fuck buddies, lovers—had never been named, but it sure as hell wasn't a _relationship_. They didn't walk around in public, holding hands and stealing kisses. They didn't have candlelit dinners or long walks on the beach.

And this was not okay.

Because she was pretty sure he didn't want all of that, and she was pretty sure he didn't want children.

But she wanted all of it. And she was pregnant.

Sakura pulled on her shoes, biting down hard on the inside of her cheek so she wouldn't start sobbing. "I have to go."

She didn't look at him as she left his apartment.

* * *

Of all the places she expected Kakashi to be, her office in the hospital wasn't even on her radar. Therefore, when she opened her door and found him casually sitting behind her desk, she practically dropped the charts she was carrying.

Hurriedly, she shut the door behind her, hoping to ward off any eavesdroppers. Dread slowly spread through her veins like ice water, and her heart made itself at home in her throat. "Kakashi," she whispered.

His lone visible eye gazed at her lazily. "It's been three days, Sakura." He tilted his head slightly. "Why are you avoiding me?"

"I'm not," she replied quickly, averting her eyes to a chart in her hands. Inwardly, she winced at how blatant her lie must have seemed.

A single silver eyebrow rose questioningly. Sakura reddened, still not prepared for the conversation she had been trying to avoid.

"Is this your way of breaking up with me?" Kakashi asked slowly.

Her head snapped up in surprise, meeting his gaze. "I wasn't aware we were together," she blurted, immediately wanting to bang her head against the wall for voicing her thoughts.

Though his mask was firmly in place, Sakura could still see a peculiar expression take over his features. "What did you think we were?"

Sakura flushed in response. "I don't know," she snapped, irritated. She put her hand on the door handle, opening the door a crack. "Can we not talk about this right now?"

The door slammed shut, and she suddenly found herself pressed between it and Kakashi. Despite everything, his proximity sent a shiver though her. Sakura cursed her body's betrayal.

"No," he said calmly, his breath fanning across her cheeks. "You'll only hide again." He rested his forehead against hers. "Do you want to see other people?"

"No," she murmured dizzily. It was all too much—the press of his flack vest against her, his breath—for her emotionally unstable self. She vaguely felt the need to vomit. "Kakashi, I'm pregnant."

This seemed to startle the Copy Nin, and he moved away from her enough to look into her eyes. "What?"

"It'll be a couple more weeks before a pregnancy test will read positive," Sakura babbled, "but I am. I felt it."

"Felt it?" Kakashi repeated absently. "I thought that you…"

"I forgot." Sakura stared at a stain on her carpet, trying to swallow down her hysteria. Don't cry. _Don__'__t __cry._ "You distracted me, and I forgot."

Kakashi looked at her dazedly. "Oh."

Sakura bit her lip, eyes burning. "Yeah. _Oh_."

She stood there, staring at that damn stain so hard she was surprised it didn't spontaneously combust. And for a long time, the room was silent.

Finally, just when she was sure he had made a mad dash for the window when she wasn't looking, he spoke. "We could get married."

Her head snapped back up so fast, it was a wonder she didn't get whiplash. "_What?__"_

He was looking at her tentatively now, clearly not wanting to repeat himself. "Married."

A rage took hold of her, quickly overturning any remnant of a filter her mouth had. "You don't even _want_ kids!" Sakura spat, eyes narrowing into jade slits. "And you _don__'__t_ want to marry _me_!"

Kakashi looked visibly surprised at her outburst, backing up to give her more space. "That's not true. I've never thought about kids before, but if it was with you—"

"Shut up!" she snarled, the tears finally breaking free and running down her face with abandon. "You don't have to think of me as your responsibility. I can take care of myself!"

Kakashi looked torn between comforting her and shaking her silly. Instead, he took a deep breath. "I know you can, Sakura. But if you think I'm proposing because you're pregnant, you're wrong. I'm just using that as an excuse."

Sakura paused, wiping her eyes. "You're lying."

The Copy Nin sent her an incredulous look. "Sakura, I love you."

The medic completely froze at that. "Stop it," she murmured. "You have never once said that to me before now. You haven't even taken me on a formal date or held my hand in public."

"You didn't want me to." Cautiously, Kakashi inched his way closer to her. "You wanted a friend, I was your friend. Then you wanted sex, so I gave you sex. But you never acted like you wanted more than a casual relationship, and I didn't want to push you into something you didn't want."

Sakura begrudgingly saw the truth in his words. After the whole ordeal with Sasuke, all she had wanted was someone who would be there for her, and Kakashi had all too willingly fit into whatever role she needed him to be.

She had thought he was messing with _her_ emotions. Apparently, though, Kakashi had willingly let _her_ mess with _his._

Because...

He had reached her. Slowly, he put his hands on her waist. She didn't pull away. "Will you let me?" he asked softly. "Can we be a family?"

Sakura pulled his face closer to hers in response, placing a firm kiss on his masked lips in response. She could feel rather than see his boyish grin, and she moved back. "Don't get too happy," she warned, wiping the remnants of her tears. "I'm still not marrying you."

Kakashi recoiled as if he had been slapped. "What? Why?"

"Because," Sakura replied coolly, "I refuse to have some shotgun wedding."

"I already told you. I'm not marrying you because you're pregnant."

"You're not marrying me at all," she remarked flippantly, moving around him to finally arrive at her desk.

He looked pained. "Sakura…"

"Let's just take it slow, okay?" She smiled softly, splaying her fingers over her flat tummy. "And let's hope our son won't be as stubborn as his father."

Kakashi smirked underneath his mask. Getting her to marry him would be a challenge, but he was willing to take it. "How do you know it'll be a boy?"

She laughed, as if he had said the punchline to a joke he wasn't in on. "I just know."

* * *

**A/N: OMG TEH FLUFFFF! XD**

**Sorry peeps. Guess I was in a fluffy mood. And how can ShikaTema and KakaSaku babies not be fluffy? lol**

**Hopefully I can get the rest up soon. Review?**


	12. In which someone's dreams come true

**Hey peeps! Thanks for all the reviews for last chappie—I'm really glad you all appreciated it. The second part will be up when I get the chance to write it; this little plot bunny worked its way into my brain so much that I just had to write it, so I did. Hope you enjoy! :D**

**Random spoilers: Who else freaked the eff out when they read the last two Naruto chapters? All of the kage fighting **_**together?**_**This shiz is getting so good, I don't know what to do with myself! XD**

**I don't own Naruto. If I did, that would mean that I owned Uchiha Madara as well, and I'm not sharing, bitches.**

* * *

She felt her bed dip, but she didn't move. Her subconscious knew exactly who it was—there was no need to even acknowledge him. Having just finished the night shift from _hell_ at the hospital, Sakura would be damned if anyone interrupted her slumber.

"Sakura-chan!"

Twitching at the familiar voice, Sakura burrowed deeper into her warm cocoon, pulling her comforter over her head.

Unfortunately, Uzumaki Naruto never knew when he should give up, and she soon felt his weight on top of her, attempting to shake her awake. "Sakura-chan!"

For a few moments, Sakura valiantly ignored Naruto and his incessant whining. She even ignored him as he continued to shake her. It wasn't until Naruto got the bright idea to hit her with a pillow that she finally snapped. _Doesn__'__t __this __idiot __know __that __a __girl __needs __her __beauty __rest?_

Sakura sat up so quickly, Naruto was almost thrown off of the bed. She turned towards her window, noticing, with irritation, that the sun was just beginning to rise. "WHAT?" she snarled, her long hair a messy cloud around her head.

Naruto's eyes widened in fear—and with good reason. But contrary to popular belief, Naruto was not stupid. He wouldn't have poked the beast with a stick unless it was absolutely necessary. "I need you to help me!"

An odd sound filled the room. Naruto realized it was the sound of Sakura grinding her teeth and flinched.

"Naruto," she said slowly, emerald eyes flashing menacingly, "if I look at the clock and it says anything before noon, I'm punching you in the face. And then I'm going to rip off your scrotum and show it to you."

Naruto visibly swallowed. He didn't doubt that she could follow through with her threats. "But I need you to help me with Hinata!"

Sakura paused at that, her rage lessening. "What do you need my help for? I thought that things were going well."

"They are!" he exclaimed, crawling closer to her and clasping one of her hands in between his pleadingly. "And that's why I want her to be my girlfriend!"

Sakura sighed, letting the air slowly escape past her lips. She glanced at the alarm clock on her nightstand. Six in the morning. She'd barely been asleep for two hours.

"I thought you guys were already dating," she deadpanned tiredly.

"We are," Naruto replied, freeing her hand in order to scratch his head thoughtfully. "I think."

They went on dates that Hinata frequently gushed about, and they kissed often enough for the Hyuuga heiress to practically have a permanent blush. How could he only "think" they were dating?

"Naruto," Sakura said with a barely suppressed growl. "Do we have to do this right now? Come back in, say, a week."

Naruto shook his head vehemently. "No! She's coming back from her mission soon!"

"And this can't wait until I get enough sleep and stop thinking of ways to kill you?"

He thought that that might have been a joke, but, just in case, scooted back a little. "I was talking to Kiba yesterday, and he asked me if I had asked Hina to be my girlfriend. He told me that until we both decided to be serious, Hinata can date other people!"

Sakura couldn't help but smile a little at how nervous Naruto seemed. He looked so cute, only wearing a black t-shirt and sweatpants, looking as if the world could end any second. Those two were just too adorable for their own good. "I don't think you have to worry about that, Naruto."

"Hinata just made jounin last week," Naruto replied, looking at her as if she was insane.

"So what's the problem? She outranks you?" Sakura guessed. Naruto, too busy with training and saving the world, had yet to even take the chuunin exam. Next week, however, he was scheduled to take both tests, and Sakura had no doubt that he would pass with flying colors.

"She can kick my ass," Naruto corrected, "and that's hot. I know I'm not the only guy who thinks so, so I have to hurry up and ask her!"

Sakura blinked, knowing from experience that most guys, in fact, _didn__'__t_ find a strong woman hot, especially if she could knock their lights out, as it was a blow to their pride. Was Naruto admitting to being a masochist? She wouldn't blame him, as growing up with two sensei, both of them perverts, was bound to leave him with some kind of kink.

Sakura almost snorted in her mirth. His longtime crush on her suddenly made so much sense.

"You know," a voice said from the doorway, "you're so worried about Hinata finding someone else, but here you are, in bed with another woman."

Naruto scrambled off the bed faster than if it was on fire.

Ino laughed. "Don't worry. Sakura's forehead is just big enough for jealousy to be unwarranted."

"Hey," Sakura snapped half-heartedly as Ino meandered her way over and joined her on the bed. There went any chances of getting back to bed.

Ino was even less of a morning person than Sakura, and with a serious case of bedhead and no makeup, she looked like something Madam Shijimi's cat spit up. Naruto couldn't help but stare.

Ino ran a hand through the nest on her head, annoyed. "Come on. Do you want our help or not?"

Sakura raised an eyebrow. "_Our, _Pig?"

Ino scoffed, finally getting annoyed enough to forcibly pull Naruto back onto the bed by his arm. "Of _course_ I want to help Hinata. Now, here's what we should do—"

Naruto paled suddenly. "She's here."

Ino frowned, confused. "What?"

Naruto jumped off the bed, running his fingers through hair and looking like he wanted to pull it out. "Hinata! She just got back from her mission; I can feel her!"

"Calm down, Naruto," Sakura said soothingly. "Just go tell her that you want to have dinner later tonight."

"Yeah!" Ino chimed in. "That'll give us enough time to figure out what you're wearing and where to take her. Oh! And don't worry about the flowers. I'll hook you up."

"Okay," Naruto said dazedly, not moving a muscle.

The two girls stared at him, and he stared back.

"What are you waiting for, baka!" Sakura yelled, throwing a pillow at him. "Get going!"

The pillow hit him straight in the face, but Naruto didn't react, instead making his way to the window and exiting the same way he entered.

"Wow," Ino commented. "He's really nervous."

Sakura smiled. "Yeah. I don't know why though. Hinata's obviously been head over heels for years."

"They're adorable!"

"I know!"

"...Wanna go watch?"

* * *

They sat in a tree overlooking the gates, watching as Naruto fidgeted. Neither of them had had time to get presentable, so they had thrown on jeans and t-shirts, and worn giant hats over their sorry excuses for hair. Sakura and Ino had even gone so far as to wear sunglasses to hide their identities from any poor soul that happened to be up at this ungodly hour.

"I can't believe I'm out in public looking like this," Ino whispered, hoping not to catch Naruto's attention.

"Me neither," Sakura replied. "But we have to see this through! It's years in the making."

"I'm surprised that bonehead is finally making a move." Ino cocked her head to the side. "He should bring lilies, I think. Roses make it seem like he's trying too hard, and she likes lilies—"

Sakura gripped her friend's arm. "Shh! She's here!"

They watched as Hinata trudged through the gates of Konoha, nodding at the gatekeepers as she passed. She looked tired, her footfalls short and heavy, her back stooped slightly from the weight of her backpack. Her long indigo hair was elegantly knotted at the top of her head, and she was covered head to toe in mud. Her first solo mission as a jounin had apparently been a dirty one.

At her appearance, Naruto froze.

Hinata stopped as well. "Naruto," she said, pleasantly surprised. She smiled softly.

"Hinata!" Despite his nervousness, Naruto seemed to light up upon seeing the Hyuuga heiress, a goofy grin making its way onto his face.

For a while, the two just stood there, Naruto openly staring at her and Hinata blushing.

"Baka," Ino hissed, "just ask her to dinner!"

"He's embarrassing her and he doesn't even know it," Sakura mused, watching Hinata fall back into her old habit of pushing her fingers together.

"I-I know I look pretty bad," Hinata murmured, forcing herself to separate her hands. "I was just on my way home for a bath."

"You don't look bad!" Naruto sounded appalled. "You're beautiful, Hina-chan."

This time, her blush was a pleased one. Hinata looked down at her shoes in amazement. It didn't matter that they had been dating for a month—every time he looked at her the way he was now, she couldn't believe her luck.

"Hinata…" Naruto shifted his weight from foot to foot, using a finger to lift her head. Her gaze met his. "Do you maybe...wanna be my girlfriend?"

Hinata's pale eyes widened in shock, not believing her ears. But when Naruto continued to look at her expectantly, she vigorously nodded.

"Really?" Naruto breathed, looking like a child on Christmas.

"Of course, Naruto-kun." She smiled softly. "Of course."

Naruto promptly closed the gap between them, grabbing hold of her waist and lifting her up.

"W-wait, Naruto-kun! I'm dirty!"

"I don't care!" Naruto laughed, swinging her around in circles.

On the roof, the two girls watched the scene wistfully.

"He didn't follow the plan," Ino sighed.

"If I had known this was going to happen, I would have taped it," Sakura moaned to herself. "Everyone in Konoha would have paid to see this!"

Ino nodded, eyes still on the scene in front of them. Naruto had finally set Hinata down, and was now leaning in to kiss her. "I hope we can someday have what they have," she murmured, feeling all warm inside.

Sakura nodded mutely, thoughts of Sasuke flitting through her mind. She watched as Hinata's arms looped around Naruto's neck, blushing all the while, bringing him closer to her.

"Stephanotis," Ino mused. "And baby's breath. Maybe some myrtle, and orange blossoms."

Sakura looked at her. "What are you going on about, Pig?"

"The flowers." The new couple had finally parted, now walking away hand in hand. Ino smiled. "For their wedding."

* * *

**A/N: Let me know. ;)**


	13. In which someone misjudges

**Woot! Update! I hope everyone had a great holiday, and if you don't hear from me by then, I hope everyone has a happy new year! :D**

**Thanks to everyone that reviewed the last chapter—you guys are the greatest. Other than that, I don't really have much to say. I'm on winter break now, so hopefully I'll have a little more time to write.**

**My random thoughts on the manga SPOILER ALERT: *Did anyone else flip a shit when Kakashi and Gai appeared last week? Love me some Kakashi; he's freaking awesome (not to mention sexay. ;) ) *I'm sure I'm not the only one who read the chappie this week and was like, "Son Goku? Dragonball? Kurama? Yu Yu Hakusho?" But just so everyone knows, I looked it up, and those names are names from Chinese/Japanese legends. Kishi did not steal the names, and there will not be any canon Naruto crossovers. Sorry to burst your bubble. XD *I'm ready for the Kyuubi/Naruto friendship to begin. Poor Kyuubi just needs someone to understand him. And a hug. Naruto is willing to give him both.**

**I don't own Naruto.**

* * *

"I don't think she likes me," Choro mumbled, stuffing another handful of chips into his mouth, depressed.

"Of course she likes you," Shikari consoled, silently noting that one of the clouds looked like a bunny. "She's your teammate."

Choro sighed, sullenly offering the Nara girl some of his chips. "Not the way I want her to."

She shook her head. He clearly needed them more than her. "Don't worry about it, Cho. Mai will come around. She's just cautious; it has nothing to do with you."

"Are you sure?" He looked at her disbelievingly. "If you were Mai, would _you_ date me?"

She sat up from the grass, determined to answer truthfully and giving her friend a once over. Choro's hair, kept in the traditional Akimichi style, was a light blond like his mother's. His brown eyes were soulful and kind; his cheeks were adorned with red oval tattoos that made it look like he constantly had dimples. And, unlike what many people assumed, Choro was not fat—he was stocky, built like a tank and could hit twice as hard. Sure, he had a little extra fat on him, but his fat was his weapon, and no one could argue that the young Akimichi was unfit.

And, on top of a generally pleasant appearance, Choro was a sweetheart who was a great listener, and who liked to open doors and give flowers.

"Of course I would." Shikari sighed, plopping back down onto the grass and resuming her assessment of the clouds. "But I'm not exactly the best person you should taking relationship advice from."

"True," he agreed sympathetically.

She groaned at her own misfortune. Seventeen years old and single. Not that there was anything wrong with being single; it was when she decided to be in a relationship that things tended to go to hell. Shikari had no problem finding boyfriends, but if her recent slew was any indicator, she had terrible taste in men. "I should start collecting cats _now_, so I'll be sufficiently pathetic later_,_ when I'm thirty-five and still alone."

"You don't have to be alone," Choro pointed out. "Uzumaki still seems to be interested, no matter how much you try to get away from him."

"He's a flirt, Cho," Shikari scoffed. "There are so many girls chasing after him that it's ridiculous." She remembered how much she used to like Kenji when they were little, but when she had returned from Suna, her red-headed crush had turned into some sort of Casanova. Shikari was not impressed.

"But you're the only one that _he's_ chased," her friend mused. "You don't think that means something?"

"I'm also the only one who bothered to _run_," Shikari said pointedly. "He probably thinks I'm a challenge." She sighed and sat up again, deciding that she couldn't properly cloud-watch while talking about her pitiful love life. "And how did we start talking about me, anyway? We're supposed to be talking about you and Mai and all of your cute Hyuuga babies."

Choro blushed. "I really don't think—"

"Well you'll never know until you try, right?" A single eyebrow was raised in challenge, and her lips quirked a little smile. "Pair up with her when we spar tomorrow."

"But _we_ always spar together." Choro frowned.

Shikari shook her head, exasperated. "Sparring with me isn't going to further your chances with Mai."

"But that means that you'll have to spar with Lee-sensei," her blond friend pressed.

A shiver went down her spine, but Shikari ignored it. "You're my best friend. I'll take one for the team."

Choro's face shone with clear gratitude, and he clapped her on the back happily. "Thanks, Shika!"

"Yeah, yeah," she grinned. "Just remember this when I'm old and lonely and have eighty-four cats. You and your Byakugan babies better visit me."

He laughed, crumbling his empty chip bag in a fist and standing up. "I have to go. We have a big order to fill at the shop, and Mom roped me into helping."

Shikari raised a hand in goodbye, returning her attention to the sky. But even though her friend and his issues had left, her cloud-watching urge didn't return. She stood, brushing grass off her pants. It was almost time for her to feed the deer anyway.

"Well, look who it is."

She froze at the voice, looking to the heavens for help. Troublesome didn't even _begin_ to cover it. Slowly, she turned to face him.

He stood there, his large muscled arms crossed in front of him cockily. He was flanked by three of his friends, ones she had never liked.

"Jiro," she acknowledged flatly, turning and fully intending on returning home.

Shikari suddenly found one of his goons blocking her way. She sighed, realizing his intention. There was no other reason for her recently-_ex_-boyfriend to show up at her favorite field by the academy at noon, when the sun was directly overhead and there were absolutely no shadows. She slightly regretted publicly dumping the bastard.

But honestly, she hadn't meant to. It just so happened that they had been shopping at the market with a group of friends when she could no longer tolerate his idiocy. Jiro was misogynistic, rude, and not nearly enough of an intellectual challenge, and the second she realized it, she couldn't stand to be associated with him any longer.

Humiliation didn't sit well with Jiro, if this little visit was any indication. He walked up to her, eclipsing her with his size. Jiro was at least a foot taller than her, and he was stocky and heavily muscled. "Where're you goin', babe? I just want to talk."

Shikari honestly wondered what she had ever seen in him. "Not now, Jiro," she responded coldly. "I have things to do."

"Really now," he said mockingly, his brown eyes hard. "You were pissing around with that fat ass two seconds ago."

Her temper flared, and her jaw set. He had liked Choro when they were dating, but now he seemed to have no problem insulting him!

She took it back. She didn't regret dumping this piece of shit at all.

Trying to rein in her anger but failing, Shikari took a step closer to him, showing him she wasn't intimidated, even when his friends drew in menacingly. Clearly he thought that coming at her when she didn't have her tessen and couldn't use her Kagemane no Jutsu was the best way to save his pride. But this just proved Jiro's stupidity, and that he never listened to her, as she had told him that her sensei was a taijutsu master. She could beat the stupid out of him.

Inwardly, she paused. Jiro, she could take. But she wasn't sure she could take down all four of the burly men without her Kagemane restraining some of them.

"Is this a spar?"

Shikari resisted the urge to smack herself on the forehead. Today must be her lucky day—all of her favorite people were showing up!

Annoyed, she turned to meet his pale eyes.

Kenji held her gaze for a second, trying to assess the situation. He was carrying something covered in a lavender furoshiki, and his style of dress was much more casual than usual. His chuunin vest was absent, and instead of his battle fatigues, he wore an orange tshirt printed with the Whirlpool swirl that clashed horrendously with his bright hair. Said hair was in a much looser braid than usual, a few long strands running free and framing his face, and it had no forehead protector to force it into place.

From what Shikari could tell, Kenji was just as weaponless as she was. But from the way he was looking at her, she knew he was ready to jump into battle with her if need be.

"Aww, how sweet. Her boyfriend came to help her," Jiro jeered.

Neither of them rose to the bait, but Kenji's eyebrows furrowed. "Shika doesn't need my help."

"Then get _lost_, Uzumaki," Jiro spat. He had never liked Kenji, which Shikari never understood. There was no reason for him to be jealous—she had given all of her attention to _his_ unworthy ass. "I just want to talk."

"You've already said enough." Shikari's eyes flashed, and she again turned to leave. "We're over, Jiro. Get over it."

Jiro was practically foaming with rage. "YOU BITCH!" he roared, grabbing her by the arm and jerking her to a halt.

Shikari's eyes flashed dangerously. She glared at the offending appendage.

But suddenly, the hand was ripped off of her, and her view of Jiro was blocked by a red mane.

"Fuck off, Uzumaki!" Jiro yelled, giving Kenji a shove. "This is none of your business!"

Shikari shook her head. Who in their right mind threatens the Hokage's son? Her ex was clearly more obtuse than she previously had thought.

But Kenji didn't even flinch, barely moving from his spot between Shikari and the enraged man. "You know," he started, his emotionless voice betraying his true rage. "I think my dad gave me too many days off. I've been getting rusty." He turned his head slightly, catching Shikari's gaze over his shoulder. "How about that spar?"

In his eyes, she could read his true words.

_Please let me help._

His sincerity startled her, and she found herself nodding. "Knock yourself out." But as her gaze moved to Jiro, her cerulean eyes turned hard as diamonds.

_But _I_ get _him.

* * *

Shikari hummed, dragging an unconscious Jiro through the dirt by his vest. She took extra care to drag him through a pile of rocks and some grass that was sure to give him a rash. With much more force than was necessary, she lifted him in the air and threw him into the pile. Yay for upper-body strength!

Jiro's friends groaned as his weight was added on top of them. They had been stupid enough to try to interfere in Shikari's fight, and Kenji had downed them in seconds.

Now, he stood, long hair fluttering softly in the wind. In the middle of the scuffle, the braid had easily fallen loose, and now the bright-red strands, slightly wavy from their braided state, ran free of restraints. He looked at the pile of bastards, a grin reminiscent of the Hokage making its way onto his face. "I don't think he'll be bothering you anymore."

"I hope not," Shikari replied, resisting the urge to kick the pile. Her mother tended to come out in her when she was pissed off, and only sometimes could she control the havoc wreaked by her inner Temari. "I think that he might _actually_ be retarded. Seriously. He had to have been dropped on his head when he was a baby, ten times at least."

Kenji laughed, nimble fingers gathering his hair at the nape of his neck and beginning to braid.

Shikari watched, entranced, as his long fingers expertly maneuvered the hair into its proper place. "Why don't you just cut it?" she murmured, more to herself.

But he had apparently heard her, as his fingers stilled. He blushed. "Someone once told me not to."

Her breath caught in her throat. _He remembered?_ That was so long ago! Shikari turned her head, attempting to hide her own blush.

Fingers reached the end, and Kenji wrapped a hair tie around it to preserve his handiwork. He picked up the abandoned furoshiki off of the grass, then seemed to remember something. "I wasn't following you or anything!" he said hurriedly, a hand waving in front of him.

Shikari blinked.

"The twins forgot their lunch!" He held up the furoshiki as proof. "I was just bringing it to them!"

Shikari smirked. "Relax. I believe you."

Kenji scratched his head sheepishly. "I guess I should get going then. It's almost lunchtime." With a grin and a wave, he turned to leave.

Shikari watched his retreating back thoughtfully. She had misjudged him—Uzumaki Kenji was more than she had perceived him to be. A slight blush still on her face, she called out to him. "Hey, Kenji!"

He hadn't made it that far, and easily heard her. He looked over his shoulder at her curiously.

"Wanna meet me at Ichiraku tomorrow?"

His face visibly lit up. "Like a date?" he asked excitedly.

Shikari rolled her eyes, her blush deepening nonetheless. "Like lunch," she retorted, turning to head home. It was _definitely_ time to feed the deer. It wasn't like they could just as easily eat grass or anything. Nope.

Despite the distance that grew between them, she could still hear his whoops of excitement clear as day. And despite the distance between them, the heat in her face refused to recede.

* * *

_"Your hair is so pretty, Kecchan!" Slowly, Shikari ran her fingers through the shoulder-length strands, watching in amazement as they seemed to glow in the sunlight. She had never seen anyone with hair like this—her uncle had similar hair, but it had more brown in it. Kenji's was the same color as the sun before it set, as some of the flowers Ino-ba-chan had in her shop._

_Kenji grinned, not at all perturbed by his friend's roaming hands. "I think _you're_ pretty," he replied shyly, staring at his shoes._

_Shikari smiled. "You're silly." She gave a strand one last twirl of her finger. "Don't ever cut it, 'kay?"_

_He nodded vigorously. "Okay."_

_Her cerulean eyes looked at him seriously. She stuck out her pinkie. "Promise?"_

_He linked his pinkie with hers. "Promise!"_

* * *

**A/N: I'm starting to really love them. :)**

**Let me know.**


	14. In which 1 plus 1 equals 3, part 2

**Hello, my lovelies! Thanks so much for the reviews, really appreciate it! ^_^**

**In case you're wondering why this update took so long, it's because I had to drag it out of me. Despite the fact that I currently have more time to write, this particular chappie was driving me crazy. Even though I knew how I wanted it to go, I just couldn't find the will to write it down. Ugh. Oh well, I finally finished it. I can finally move on. Hahaha**

**Oh, and I'm going to be studying abroad this semester! So if you don't hear from me for a while, it's because I'm busy taking a nonexistent Lord of the Rings tour and riding kiwi birds like horses.**

**Not much else to say, other than as much as I'm lovin' the new Naruto storyline, the latest chapter had me scratching my head and going, "Is Naruto seriously pulling Jesus-jutsus out of his ass? **_**Really**_**, Kishi?"**

**I don't own Naruto.**

* * *

** Ino  
**

The door burst open without preamble. Sakura sighed, not bothering to look up from her chart. She raked a hand through her short hair, preparing herself for the incoming storm.

Footsteps stomped up to her desk, and palms smashed onto the top, scattering papers. The pencil in her hand snapped in half. "Pig!" Sakura growled.

Ino ignored her friend's anger, a big grin on her face. "Guess what?"

Sakura began gathering the wayward papers, grumbling. "These are important."

Palms smacked the desk again. "Focus, Forehead! _I_ am the important thing right now!"

"Let me guess." Sakura moved the papers away from her friend's violent hands. "You're—"

"Pregnant!" Ino squealed.

Sakura rolled her eyes. Ino hadn't been married to Choji that long—next month would be their one-year anniversary—but ever since Temari had brought Shikari home, Ino had had babies on the brain. She was constantly "pregnant". Last week she was pregnant because she kept craving apples in odd-numbered hours ("I thought I was going to die without one. It happened at three and then again at seven!" "...You were probably just hungry, Ino."). The week before she was pregnant because she suddenly felt like putting _blue_ daisies into an arrangement instead of her usual pink ones. And for some reason, Ino always felt the need to barge into Sakura's office at the hospital and announce her fake pregnancies.

"Really," Sakura deadpanned.

Ino plopped herself down in a chair, her long ponytail swaying with the movement. She leaned over the desk in challenge. "_Yes_, really!"

The roseate-haired girl smirked. "Did you suddenly wake up at two in the morning again?"

"No." Ino crossed her arms, looking smug. "I missed my period."

That was new. Sakura looked at her with interest. "When was it supposed to be?"

"Yesterday," the blonde proclaimed proudly.

Sakura laughed. "It's probably just late."

Ino shook her head, blue eyes serious. "I'm never late. Ever."

_Interesting_. Sakura blinked slowly, deep in thought. "Stress can cause missed periods," she guessed.

Ino scoffed. "I know you're a prude and everything, but even you should know that babymaking is _not_ a stressful activity."

A vein throbbed in Sakura's forehead. "I'm not a prude," she retorted. "I just don't have time for men."

Ino gaped at her incredulously. "Who doesn't have time for men?"

"Running a hospital while taking missions on the side will do that to you," she snapped.

"You still seem to be able to make time for Kakashi," Ino said slyly, the look in her eyes confirming that she was up to no good.

Sakura rolled her eyes. "We're friends."

Ino winked. "And?"

"And he's Kakashi," Sakura replied irritably, as if that explained everything. She stood, making her way over to the other side of the desk and placing her hands flat against Ino's belly.

The blonde yelped as foreign chakra filled her abdomen. "What are you doing?" She would have smacked her hands away if she didn't trust Sakura wholeheartedly.

"Probing your uterus," Sakura replied. "Now shut up before I stab you in the ovaries."

It was really early if Ino was indeed pregnant, but being friends with Ino for most of her life came with an unexpected perk—Sakura knew Ino's body really well. Immediately, she felt the presence of an unshed uterine lining, but she kept looking.

Ino's shifted uncomfortably. "Hurry it up, Forehead."

"Hypocrite." Sakura smirked, chakra still searching. "You love invading other people's bodies, but can't take it when other people are in yours."

A blond eyebrow raised. "That's not true. I like Choji in there just fine."

Sakura's face scrunched up, grossed out. "That really wasn't necessary, you know. I don't need to know those thi—"

Wondering why she stopped in the middle of her sentence, Ino looked at her curiously. "What?"

It was there—barely detectable, but there—a tiny disruption of Ino's chakra. Sakura took her hands away, looking around nonchalantly. "Nothing," she replied innocently.

Ino could always tell when she lied, and she hadn't been trying very hard. She snatched Sakura's hand before she could get away. "What!"

"Nothing," Sakura repeated with a smile. "You're just pregnant."

The words didn't have the effect Sakura thought they would. Ino's eyebrows were furrowed, her lips slightly pursed, and her eyes trained on her friend for any sign of a joke. "Really?"

Sakura placed Ino's hand over her own belly. "Really," she insisted. "Looks like all that hard work paid off."

A smile crept across Ino's face, quickly morphing into a full-fledged grin. "I'm pregnant!" she laughed. "I have to tell people!"

Ino had been crying wolf for so long, Sakura wondered if anyone would believe her this time. "You should tell Choji first. He deserves to hear it from you."

"You're right!" Ino jumped up from her chair excitedly. "I have to find him!"

"It's your lucky day." Sakura pointed out the window with her thumb.

Ino ran to the window. Choji was strolling past, a bag of groceries in one of his hands. "Cho!" she yelled.

Sakura watched as Choji looked around confusedly before finally thinking to look up. Reflexively, he smiled softly at the sight of his wife.

Ino started to lift a leg over the window sill, but Sakura grabbed her. "Slow your roll, preggo," she said sternly. "You can't keep jumping out of windows. We're on the fifth floor. Use the stairs."

Instead of the rebuttal Sakura was expecting, Ino pulled her into a tight hug. "You're going to be an auntie!"

The pink-haired medic smiled, hugging her friend just as tightly. "And you're going to be a mommy."

One more squeeze, then Sakura was abruptly let go as Ino practically sprinted out of the room.

She smiled, leaning on the windowsill and winking at a bewildered Choji, still waiting down below. Then she watched as Ino finally made it down to ground level, leapting into her husband's arms. And though she couldn't hear the words, Sakura knew when Ino had spoken them, as Choji's smile seemed to take over his entire face.

Ino clung to him, and he clung to her, and he spun them round and round.

* * *

** Tenten**

Tenten made her way into the Hokage's office. She was already in uniform, ANBU mask in her pack and ready to be worn. All she needed was the okay.

ANBU were required to take a physical after every other mission, as a precaution. Because ANBU worked so closely with the Hokage, its members could never be compromised; the physicals made sure no enemy nin had somehow contaminated the members. Tenten was just waiting on the results of hers—then she could be on her merry way to her assassination mission in Mizu.

She nodded a greeting to Shikamaru, who, from his desk, lifted a hand lazily in return. Then, she turned to face her Hokage.

Naruto ruffled through the mounds of paper on his desk. "Hey, Tenten. Just give me a sec."

Tenten idly wondered if Naruto had known what he was getting himself into when he had wanted to be Hokage. His desk was full of mission scrolls, paperwork, and who knew what else, and it was a miracle he could find anything in that mess.

"Second drawer on the left."

Miracle, thy name is apparently Shikamaru.

Naruto opened the drawer his advisor had mentioned and pulled out a manila folder. "Ah, here it is. Thanks, Shika!"

Shikamaru sighed in reply, evidently used to helping the Hokage navigate his own desk.

Naruto grinned sheepishly, pulling out a single sheet that Tenten knew held the results of her physical. He skimmed it, humming a little ditty as he did so, and looked back up at her.

There was a gleam in his eye, and Tenten didn't like it one bit. "What?" she snapped, forgetting she was speaking to the Hokage and remembering she was speaking to a guy she grew up with.

"I can't give you this mission," he replied simply. His grin grew wider.

Tenten froze. She had never been rejected for a mission before. "Why?"

In response, Naruto held out the paper. Tenten took it from him with more force than necessary, eyes darting over the words. Blood pressure excellent, heart rate superb, reflexes kick-ass. Everything was expected.

Except—

Her eyes widened at the number circled in red, results from her urine test. And her mouth opened at the neatly-printed word next to it.

_Pregnant._

"Oh," Tenten said softly, staring at the word as if she wasn't sure it was tangible.

Naruto laughed. "Must be something in the water," he joked.

Shock hit her further. She was pregnant. At the same time as _Ino_. Kami help her, that girl was going to want to go shopping for a bajillion baby clothes, even though she already knew hers was a boy and no one cares what boys wear. And she would probably drag her to some weird prenatal classes where they act out the birth and scream like banshees and learn how to _breathe_, as if she hadn't been doing it just fine all her life. And instead of Sakura getting all of Ino's jabbering, it would now be _her_— and there were only so many complaints about stretch marks that Tenten could handle.

Holy mother of Jashin, she was screwed.

Distantly, she felt gentle fingers wrap around her arm, leading her to a chair. She sat mechanically, grasping a cup of water as it was placed in her hand. Shikamaru's face swam in her vision. "Do I need to get Temari?"

She took a sip of water, shaking off her shock. "No."

Naruto looked worriedly at the woman who had practically fainted in his office. "Are you sure? I could ask Hinata. Or even Ino."

In response, Tenten downed the rest of her water, shotting it back as if it were tequila. Kami, what she would do for some tequila.

She sat for a bit, calming down. It wasn't that bad. She hadn't been expecting it, but Tenten was the type of person who could roll with the punches. And on the bright side, this meant that Neji had to marry her now—illegitimate children were a huge dishonor to the Hyuuga.

Suddenly, she wondered why she had never thought to get pregnant earlier. It wasn't like they weren't going to get married before! This was exactly the thing she needed to light a fire under Neji's ass! That boy was slower than Naruto sometimes.

Tenten chewed her lip thoughtfully. "I've never had a last name before," she murmured to herself.

Naruto and Shikamaru shared a look.

She rolled her eyes, waving a hand dismissively. "I'm fine," she asserted, standing. "But I guess this means I resign."

This was why there were so few women in ANBU—once they had children, ANBU missions were just too dangerous. You never knew if you would make it back.

"I hate to see you go," Naruto replied, looking more happy for her than sad she was leaving. "And I guess this means I'll lose Neji too."

"Probably," she sighed. "You never know with that one."

"Actually," Shikamaru interrupted, "he turned in the resignation forms this morning. You just have to sign them, Naruto."

Tenten's eye twitched. "Are you trying to say," she said slowly, "that he knew I was pregnant and _didn't tell me_?"

"It's the eyes." Naruto tapped the side of his as if she wasn't sure what he was talking about. "They see _everything_."

Tenten's eyes turned into slits. "Oh really?"

Shikamaru sighed. Neji was in deep shit, and Naruto was only helping to pile more on top.

"Well then." The weapons mistress bowed sharply. "I'll be sure to have my resignation papers in by the end of tomorrow. Now if you'll excuse me," she growled. "I've got a Hyuuga to slaughter."

And with that, she unzipped her pack, slammed her ANBU mask on Naruto's desk, and stomped out of the office.

Naruto and Shikamaru stared at the door.

"Yikes." Naruto ran a hand through his hair. "I don't envy that guy."

* * *

She found him at Ichiraku Ramen, having lunch with their former teammate. Lee was talking animately, gesturing wildly with his hands, and Neji was quietly eating his ramen, presumably listening.

Tenten marched right up to them, and without pretense, snarled, "When were you planning on telling me?"

Lee looked ready to get the hell out of there, and wisely so. On her person, Tenten carried things that could kill a person over a hundred different ways—not including her bare hands. "I think I'll go see if Ayame-san needs help," he said hurriedly, clapping a hand on Neji's shoulder. With a final sympathetic glance, Lee vacated his stool.

Neji slowly put his chopsticks down, his pearly gaze making its way to hers. "Are you sure you want to have this conversation here?"

"_Yes_," she hissed. "_When_?"

"Never."

Tenten inhaled sharply. Hurt blatantly ran across her features.

"It was your choice," Neji continued, his voice hollow.

She wanted to smack that blank look off of his face, wanted to force him to feel. "How can you say that?" Her voice quivered slightly. She couldn't believe what he was saying to her—not once did she think about what he was implying. This was their child! Why would she even _think _of getting rid of it?

"Because you would have to leave ANBU. You would have to marry me."

He tried to turn away from her but she grabbed his face, forcing him to look at her.

"I'm a branch member," Neji continued quietly. "That means that you would be too. And any children we had would be sealed into servitude."

Tenten's expression softened. Despite constantly proving his worth, Neji had a major inferiority complex. "You don't get any say?"

He shook his head, jaw tight with tension. "This is your life. This is your choice."

"And of course I choose _you_." She rolled her eyes, exasperated. "You know I always do."

The rigidity in his body visibly lessened. Sighing, Tenten plopped herself on Lee's vacated stool and wrapped her hand around his. "Why did you resign?" she asked quietly.

"Because I've made _my_ choice." He slowly intertwined his fingers with hers.

Tenten smiled, her happiness only growing at the gentle look in his eyes.

* * *

**Hinata **

Hinata nervously shut the door, hoping no one was watching them.

Because she was soon to be the clan head, Hinata was forced to live on Hyuuga grounds. As such, she and Naruto were given their own quarters within the compound. He didn't seem to mind very much, too happy to be with his wife to care about _where_.

But living on the Hyuuga compound meant her family was constantly around. And although it was common courtesy in Hyuuga culture not to spy on anyone else, with eyes like theirs, sometimes it was unavoidable.

She didn't want anyone to peek in on them—this was a moment for herself and Naruto only. She was pregnant, and she was going to attempt to tell him.

It had barely been a surprise when Hinata had found out, as although she and Naruto hadn't been actively trying to have children, they hadn't been actively preventing it either. She had figured it would happen sooner than later, especially since Naruto was...a _frisky _individual.

Not that she minded.

_Ahem._

But now she had to tell him, and she was nervous. What she couldn't figure out was _why_. She was the heiress of the clan—and was thus expected to produce another heir to succeed her. Naruto was her husband. One plus one equaled…

Also, it didn't take a genius to realize that jumping your young, fertile wife all the time could result in babies, and Naruto was anything but stupid. And if his previous dream of having eight kids was still on his mind, Naruto would be thrilled by the news.

Still, when she saw him huddled at their small table, poring over history scrolls, she couldn't help the fear that flooded her system. "N-Naruto," she said softly.

The man looked up from his work wearily, a smile immediately alighting his face at the sight of her. "Welcome home, Hinata!" Naruto lifted his head expectantly, and Hinata complied, bringing hers down to meet his in a warm kiss.

Bile rose in her throat, but she ignored it, breaking the kiss before it turned into something more. Now was not the time."How was your day?" she asked instead.

Naruto sighed, running his hand through his hair. The blond strands were getting too long, but he hadn't found time to get a haircut. "Long," he replied, gesturing to the mound of papers and scrolls cluttering the table. "And boring. But baa-chan says I need to know this stuff, so I'm going to learn it."

He worked too hard, and it was starting to show. Hinata ran a hand over her stomach idly, mentally noting to cut his hair for him when she got the chance.

Naruto's eyebrows furrowed. "What's the matter, Hina-chan? Do you have a stomachache?"

She dropped her hand quickly. "No," she squeaked, feeling her face heat up. "I was just thinking."

"Are you sure?" he asked, concern in his bright blue eyes. "You look like something's bothering you."

Hinata nodded, quickly reaching into her bag before she lost the nerve. Finding the box she was looking for, she thrust it at her husband.

Naruto's eyes widened excitedly. "What's this?"

"Open it," Hinata encouraged, nervous energy mounting all the same. Feeling a little bit like she might faint, she quickly sat down in a chair beside him.

Smiling with glee, Naruto took the lid off the box, ruffling through the tissue paper. His brow furrowed as he held up a blue pair of baby booties.

Hinata peeked at him from below her lashes, holding her breath.

"Oh! These are for Shikari, right?" Naruto exclaimed. "I can give these to Shikamaru tomorrow. I think they might be too small for her, though."

Inwardly, Hinata sighed. But she had been expecting this, as Naruto wasn't very baby savvy. "There's more," she replied instead.

"Oh." He peered at her, sticking his hand back in the box. "Are you sure you're okay, Hinata? You look kind of pale."

"Just a little tired, Naruto-kun." And about to have a panic attack, but that's beside the point.

Frowning slightly at her, he lifted a pacifier out of the box. An eyebrow raised.

Before he could even open his mouth, Hinata interrupted, "One more! There's one more."

He was really looking at her peculiarly now. But when his hand wrapped around the last item, bringing out of the box, he froze.

Hinata had been very careful—she wanted to make sure there was no way he could misunderstand. She knew he didn't know the difference between two lines and one line, or even knew what the lines were for, but when he glanced at the stick in his hand, blatantly reading _pregnant_, there was no other possibility.

Naruto was a person whose emotions were always displayed on his face, and as Hinata watched, she saw his expression morph from confused to comprehension to astonishment. His eyes grew wide; his jaw dropped a little. "Wait. You mean that _you're_ pregnant?"

In response, she took his hand in hers, flattening it against her abdomen. She gave him a small smile, a faint nod.

With a whoop, Naruto stood, lifting her up with him and enveloping her in a hug. "Wow!" he gasped. "Hina, that's great! We're going to be parents!"

As he kissed her, letting his hands roam her belly, Hinata had to laugh.

She had truly worried herself over nothing.

* * *

**A/N: Let me know. :)**


	15. In which history repeats itself

**Woot! Update!**

**Not much to say (yet), so I'll just thank everyone for liking the baybehs and move on!**

**I don't own Naruto.**

* * *

Sarutobi Yuki sighed, plopping down on her couch tiredly. She had just gotten back from a long mission to Ame, and had gone straight to the Hokage to give her report. Unfortunately for her, a routine meeting with her village leader had quickly turned into one that would forever alter her life.

The Rokudaime Hokage had given Yuki the _Folder of Doom_.

Just thinking about it made her feel a headache coming on. She didn't know why she was so surprised; nearly all of her friends had already gotten theirs already.

If she was honest, she had kind of believed she was safe from it. Shikamaru-sensei was practically her father, he was such a big part of her life, and a part of her hoped that he would fix it so her name and "genin" were never in the same sentence. But alas, this was not the case. The Folder of Doom was in her hot little hands, taunting her.

Letting a long breath escape through her nostrils, Yuki opened the manila folder, eyes scanning the contents. She froze.

Was this some sort of joke?

* * *

"Uchiha Shuichi."

Shuichi stood as Ino-sensei read his name off the list. His handsome face was schooled into a look of indifference, completely at odds to the nervousness he was feeling inside.

Try as he might, he was not merely Shuichi. He was an Uchiha, and with that came more responsibility than most twelve-year-olds should have to deal with. He was the firstborn of Uchiha Sasuke, a former deserter of Konoha, which meant that everyone would be watching him, waiting for him to mess up.

But for that same reason, he _couldn't_ mess up. His father was strong, and he expected nothing less from his offspring. He was the firstborn of the new Uchiha generation, and he had to set the standard for his siblings and all that came after him. It was Shuichi's job to prove to Konoha that though their numbers dwindled, the Uchiha were still a powerful clan that shouldn't be pitied or underestimated.

His father had made sure that Shuichi understood from a young age his place in life. As such, the boy didn't have many friends. He was really close to his family, but his intense personality tended to deter the other village children. Uzumaki was the only one who attempted to have a conversation with him, and that wasn't very often.

Inwardly, as he walked to the front of the room, he hoped he and his team could have some semblance of a friendship.

More than anything, though, he hoped they wouldn't get in his way.

* * *

"Hatake Obito."

Obito growled, running a hand through his unruly silver hair. He couldn't believe that he had gotten stuck with the Uchiha, of all people.

Obito was a smart kid—and talented to boot. Considering who his parents were, it surprised no one when the boy was eligible to enter the Academy at a mere four years of age. However, his father—who had graduated the academy at age five, became a chuunin by six and a jounin by thirteen—did not want that for him. Hatake Kakashi promised himself that his children would not grow up the same way that he did, and that they would be allowed to enjoy their childhood. Obito was thus allowed to enter the Academy whenever he felt he was ready. Coincidently, Obito decided to enter at the same time as his friend Mayu, a year later than normal.

That being said, Obito logically knew that he'd be an asset to any team he was assigned. It was just his luck he was assigned to this one.

He had nothing against the Uchiha clan—he was named in honor of one, after all. And though his parents weren't on the greatest terms with Shuichi's dad, Obito knew that it wasn't right to judge a son based on the sins of his father. Many times in the past, Obito had attempted to be nice to the boy, giving him pointers on his techniques and inviting him to train together, only to have Shuichi glaring and ignoring him. There was only so much frigidity Obito could tolerate.

But there was nothing he could do about it now. The Uchiha was on his team, and if there was one thing his parents taught him, it was the importance of teamwork. He would have to make it work.

He glanced at his new teammate, not surprised to find him looking at him with a clear challenge in his eyes.

Inwardly groaning, Obito stood and made his way towards the front of the classroom.

* * *

"And Uzumaki Mayu."

Mayu stood quietly, her pale eyes widened in surprise. Of all the teams she had expected to be on, this one had never even crossed her mind. She almost felt as if this was a mistake—her new teammates seemed way out of her league.

Not to say that she was weak, because she definitely was anything but. However, she often trained with Obito-kun, and knew from experience that with his skill, he could have graduated years ago. And Shuichi-san…

The Uchiha turned his smoldering eyes to meet hers, and she stumbled a little down the stairs, a deep blush immediately enveloping her soft features. Shuichi-san was...intense. Mayu sometimes had a hard time being in the same room as him, as his overzealous will was often smothering. He trained hard, he studied hard, and he had the marks and praise to prove it.

Her teammates were at the very top of the class. And although she often came in third behind them, Mayu still couldn't fathom being of the same caliber as them.

Fiddling with her fingers nervously, Mayu finally joined her teammates, meeting Obito's pleased grin with a small smile. When she turned to Shuichi, he nodded at her once in acknowledgement before looking elsewhere.

Her teammates. One who she had known for most of her life, had grown up with, had shared memories with. One who she barely knew.

Mayu knew that her father and Shuichi's used to be really close, almost like brothers. They were even able to remain friendly once the Uchiha got out of prison. But whenever she asked why the two men never socialized outside a chance meeting at the market, her father would just ruffle her hair, almost sadly, and say that although he could forgive Uchiha Sasuke for a lot, he could never forgive him for what he did to Obitio's mother.

So, Mayu had grown up with Uchiha Shuichi in her periphery, and Hatake Obito in her backyard.

Discreetly, she looked between the two boys. She could tell from their body language that they didn't like each other, but she hoped that that would change with time. Or, at the very least, their mutual dislike wouldn't become a problem.

"Okay!" Ino-sensei smiled, patting them all on the shoulders. "Your jounin sensei is waiting for you outside."

* * *

From her hidden perch in a tree, Yuki was able to survey her brand new genin team without them knowing.

The tallest, a skinny boy with a head full of silver hair, could only be the son of the Copy Nin. Unlike his father, the boy did not wear a mask, his features a little softened by the remnants of baby fat. His eyes were a shock of green, a testament to his mother. The boy hadn't even hit puberty yet, but Yuki knew that as soon as he did, Sakura was going to have to beat off the girls with a stick.

He was talking good-naturedly to a girl, who blushed softly at the attention.

Her lips twitched with clear affection for the girl. She had known Mayu since she had been born, although she wasn't as close to her as she was to the older Uzumaki children. One thing was for sure—out of all the siblings, Mayu had finally been the one to inherit her mother's personality. While her siblings were all loud and outspoken, Mayu was quiet and easily embarrassed.

Mayu had also gained her mother's looks, from her pearly eyes to her delicate features. The only things in her reminiscent of the Hokage were her long blond hair (which she kept in a loose top-knot, a few strands framing her face) and the whisker-marks that adorned her cheeks.

Yuki's red eyes roamed to her last student—the Uchiha. As he stood there, clearly uncomfortable and not sparing his teammates a glance, Yuki could not help but notice the striking resemblance the boy had to his father. His hair was shorter, and his jawline was a little rounder, but overall, Yuki was left with the impression that Uchiha Sasuke had somehow managed to clone himself.

_Well, there's no use dragging it out,_ she mused to herself, ruffling her fingers through her chin-length wavy hair, aggravated. With one last sigh, she jumped out of the tree, landing directly in front of the three genin.

Mayu was the only one who looked visibly startled; the other two hid their surprise well. Embarrassed by her reaction, the blonde ducked her head, her face pink.

"Hello, children!" Yuki said cheerfully, gaining an annoyed look from both of the boys. "I am your jounin sensei, Sarutobi Yuki. You may refer to me as 'Oh Beautiful One.'"

Silence. They all looked at each other in confusion.

"I'm sorry?" the Hatake asked politely.

Yuki sighed like it was a big deal. "Fine, 'Yuki-sama' will suffice."

The Uchiha clearly thought she was batshit crazy. "How about 'sensei'?"

"If you insist." She winked, at Mayu, who smiled softly back. "Now, I thought about giving you some sort of test, but I've observed you all enough to make a judgement. Congratulations, you are now Team Seven."

That seemed to startle all of them. "Is this some sort of joke?" Obito demanded.

Exactly her first reaction. "Nope. Teams are randomly put on the roster. We were the seventh." Yuki smiled. "You can thank fate for that."

* * *

**A/N: Oh. Em. Gee. THE POTENTIAL. I am actually really excited about it—second generation Team 7 was just too great to pass up. A reunion through their children? Yes. An angsty Uchiha who is just misunderstood, not an asshole? YES. A possible love triangle? **_**YES.**_** Wow, the possibilities. And no, I haven't chosen which way our lovely Mayu will finally fall. Although, at this point, as much as I love my Obito-kun, I'm leaning towards Shuichi. I've always had a thing for the sad, angsty guy getting the girl. Plus, I have somehow made myself feel really bad for my own character. Go figure. XD**

**And the youngest Uzumaki is finally revealed! I thought about giving the Uzumaki family another son, but I kinda liked the idea of Kenji as the protective older brother to all of his sisters.**

**One last thought. I have been picking the names for some of the second generation because of their meaning, but I never ended up saying what the names meant. I guess I'll do that now for anyone who cares.**

**Let me know. Don't forget to review. :)**

* * *

**Names and their meanings**

**Shuichi(秀一)**: _shuu_, written to mean "excellence" or "surpass", and _ichi _meaning "one" (or in this case, "first son"). Even his _name_ indicates his need to be the best.

**Mayu (真優)**: _ma_, written to mean "true", and _yu_ written to mean "gentleness, superiority". She prefers to write it in hiragana.

**Hitomi (智美 )**: _hito_, written to mean "wisdom, intellect", and _mi_, meaning "beautiful". She writes her name in hiragana.

**Harumi (春美)**: _haru_, written to mean "spring", and _mi, _meaning "beautiful". Like all Uzumaki girls, she writes it in hiragana.

**Mai (真愛 )**: _ma_, written to mean "true" and _ai_, meaning "love, affection".

**Yuki (幸)**: _yuki_, written to mean "happiness".

**Kenji (研 二)**: _ken_, written to mean "study" and _ji,_ or "two". Could be interpreted as "twice as wise". To be honest, I just liked the name.

**Choro(蝶侶)**: _cho,_ meaning "butterfly", and _ro_, written to mean "companion".

**Shikari (鹿俐)**: _shika_, meaning "deer" and _ri,_ written to mean "clever".

Everyone else was named after someone, or I just liked the name.


	16. In which someone is finally understood

**Hey, peeps! Just a few things to say:**

**~Thanks for the reviews. You guys make my day! :D**

**~I'm not sure where this chappie came from. I was fully intending to write something else...and then this idea popped into my head. Meh, I guess it worked out.**

**~I noticed a good number of people rooting for Obiyu instead of Shuyu. Ah, to be the author and to create paring wars. XD Like I said before, I'm not sure yet where that love triangle storyline is going to go, so there is still hope for both parings!**

**~A good number of people also requested a parings/kiddies list, which is fair, because even I get confused with them sometimes. (Not the characters themselves, but the age differences and what each character is supposed to be doing during certain times. It gets mad crazy, yo.) So, for your sanity, I will be including a list of all the known characters at the end of the chapter. There will likely be more that appear as they pop up into my head, but until then, here's the semi-complete list.**

**~I made the "Naruto and Hinata want eight kids" thing up as a joke. Realistically, they both would want a big family, but once I started creating the children, four seemed like a good number. Plus, with Naruto being the Hokage and Hinata being the Hyuuga clan head, who the hell has time to watch all those damn kids? Eight kids would make sense if Hinata was merely a stay at home mom, but since she's not...four kids just felt right. Also, Hinata was getting too old to pop any more out. XD**

**~I don't own Naruto. If I did, even I wouldn't have thought up Uchiha Bros. Reunion: Parte Deux. Ohhhh shiz.**

* * *

She had known of him for a long time—he was a member of her sister's team, after all. He stood there, clearly uncomfortable, as Hinata introduced him and the Aburame to her father.

Hanabi looked at him with slight disgust. The boy looked ridiculous—despite the heat outside, he was wearing a jacket with a fur-lined hood, his face was tattooed with traditional Inuzuka markings, and his canines were too long, protruding slightly between his lips.

Basically, he looked as if any second he was going to smash his club on top of Hinata's head and drag her back to his Neanderthal cave.

In her seven-year-old opinion, both of her sister's teammates were weirdos. Inuzuka Kiba was just the weirder of the two. For heaven's sake, why was everyone pretending that having a dog zipped into his jacket was normal?

After that, she noticed him around the village a lot. Every time she saw him, he had his dog with him, in his jacket or on his head or under an arm or trotting by his side. And every time, he was loudly screaming some obscenity or another. Her lip would curl in distaste, and she would look away, appalled that her nee-chan would keep such vile company.

* * *

The first time he spoke to her, she was eleven. That doofus Konohamaru was bothering her again.

"I just asked you a question," Konohamaru huffed, agitated.

"And I answered it," she replied cooly, attempting to step around him.

The boy blocked her way again, a scowl on his face. He was the grandson of the former Hokage—he was not used to being ignored. "I was just trying to include you," he sneered. "You don't have to act like playing soccer with the rest of us is below you. It's no wonder you don't have any friends."

Despite feeling like she had been stabbed, Hanabi's face remained cold and hard as stone. Why couldn't anyone understand that she was heiress to her clan? Heiresses did not play soccer. They did not go to see movies, they did not frolic, they did not splash each other in ponds. Just considering doing any of these things conjured up her father's disapproving glare.

It just wasn't proper. Hanabi represented her clan, and she took that responsibility very seriously.

So, jaw set, she decided to ignore the boy. He was only miffed because she had rejected his offers of friendship many times. It was nothing to lose her dignity over.

"Damn Hyuugas, thinking you're better than everyone else! Newsflash—_you're not._ No wonder no one likes you."

She felt it bubble up inside her, the hurt and shame, gradually manifesting itself into anger. Surely it would be okay to hit him—the honor of her clan was at stake!

But before she could lift a hand, her view was blocked by a mass of fur. Hanabi blinked.

"Dude, are you an idiot?" a voice asked incredulously. "She can stop your heart before you even blink."

Belatedly, Hanabi realized that the furry thing keeping her from beating Sarutobi into a bloody pulp was a dog. A familiar dog...that apparently had been taking steroids, because it was now literally the size of a small horse.

Its owner scowled, annoyed. He was taller than she remembered, and had finally gotten rid of that ridiculous hooded jacket. Konohamaru shrank back a little from the older boy as Kiba took a step forward. "Don't you have somewhere to be?"

"It's not my fault she's weird!" Konohamaru yelled, pointing a finger at her accusingly.

Kiba scoffed. "You idolize _Naruto_," he pointed out. "_That's _weird. Now beat it, kid."

Upset with being told off, Konohamaru stuck out his tongue at her before leaving to meet up with his friends.

Hanabi looked on with disbelief. Did he just _stand up_ for her? Did he not think she could take care of herself? "Do you know who I am?" she demanded angrily.

His fingers were laced behind his head when he turned to look at her, the picture of nonchalance. But his eyes…

Hanabi started. Somehow, he _knew. _She wasn't sure how much, exactly, but _he knew. _

"Yeah. Hinata's kid sister." And with that, he started to walk away. "C'mon, Akamaru."

The dog barked in reply, giving her a solid lick before bounding after his master.

Standing there, covered in dog spit and amazed at his audacity, Hyuuga Hanabi fumed.

* * *

After that, Hanabi took to following him. It was strictly for curiosity's sake, for research. She had never met someone who was able to see past the walls she put up around herself, to see past her cold Hyuuga exterior and find _Hanabi_. As much as it made her nervous, it intrigued her.

She followed Kiba around Konoha, watching as he ate lunch with his friends, as he argued with his sister, as he rode his ninken like the horse it resembled. But despite her all-seeing eyes, Hanabi could not see what made Kiba tick. She couldn't understand what it was about him that made her so interested.

One day, as she sat hidden in a tree, observing Kiba lounge on the grass with his dog, Kiba spoke.

"How long are you going to be following me?"

Hanabi froze. He couldn't have been talking to _her_. She was sure that her presence was undetectable. Besides, he hadn't even opened his eyes!

"Yeah, I'm talking to you, Hanabi." A single eye looked right at her, and she burrowed deeper within the foliage. "You might as well come down now."

Appalled that he had known she had been following him all along, Hanabi jumped out of the tree, the tips of her ears red but her face impassive. Akamaru barked a greeting, his giant tail wagging, and she looked at him with trepidation.

"Don't worry about him." Kiba hadn't even bothered sitting up, his back still firmly on the grass. "Akamaru's a big softie."

Not sure what to do, Hanabi slowly sat down next to Kiba, ready to bolt if need be. To her surprise, Akamaru shuffled closer to her, placing his giant head in her lap, a request to pet him. Awkwardly, she gave him a few pats.

For a while, Kiba didn't say anything else. Then, abruptly sitting up and stretching, he turned towards her. Hanabi prepared to explain herself.

"Do you want to train?" Kiba asked curiously. His canines still protruded, but he didn't look as much like a savage as she remembered. His eyes still blatantly said _I know. _"I can help you with your Juuken."

At those words, Hanabi's mask fell. Her pale eyes widened in disbelief, her mouth falling open slightly. "You," she said slowly, not believing her ears. "Help _me_?"

Kiba looked annoyed. "I didn't stutter, did I?" he retorted. "I _do_ train with your sister on a daily basis. I would be an idiot if I hadn't picked something up by now."

Hanabi still looked at him as if he had torn off all his clothes and was suggesting they had a tea party. Akamaru panted into her leg, nudging her hand with his head. Unconsciously, she obliged, running her fingers over his ears. "Okay," she said quietly.

* * *

And so it began. Whenever she found herself wondering whether a certain strategy would work against an opponent, she found herself trying it out on Kiba. Whenever her father allowed her free time, she found herself joining in on Akamaru's walks.

She started to see the qualities her sister saw in him, why Hinata valued him as one of her closest friends. Kiba was crude, but he was also funny. He was loud, but he was also kind. He was brash, but he was fiercely loyal.

And it wasn't until she noticed how his eyes settled a little too long on her sister that Hanabi realized something else about Kiba. She wasn't sure how she felt about this revelation, but she elbowed him in the gut anyway. "Why don't you tell her?" she hissed.

He grimaced, because she was bony and her elbows were _sharp_, but he did not meet her eyes. It took a few minutes for him to answer, and when he did, she hurt for him.

"I'm not who she wants. I can't make her happy."

* * *

When she was thirteen, Hanabi plopped down on Akamaru and nuzzled his neck. "I am no longer clan heir," she said conversationally.

"What?" Kiba was clearly confused, unconsciously running a hand through his brown hair.

Hanabi sighed, watching as a particularly puffy cloud drifted by. "The title has been returned to nee-chan."

Kiba seemed stuck between being happy for his teammate and feeling bad for Hanabi. "How do you feel?" he asked tentatively.

The role had never truly been hers to begin with; it had always been meant for Hinata. Even though she had known she wouldn't have been able to take her sister's place, Hanabi had tried desperately not to be a disappointment.

She closed her eyes, a soft breeze ruffling through her long hair. "Free," she murmured. The burden was no longer hers. She was free to be _Hanabi_, not her father's "perfect" heir.

"I feel free."

* * *

Kiba was a notorious flirt. Ever since he had gotten over Hinata, he entertained himself with a succession of blond, busty, air-headed bimbos.

When around them, Hanabi had to constantly suppress the urge to slam the defenseless civilians' heads into conveniently placed walls. She didn't understand what he saw in them, these girls who couldn't kill a man with their bare hands, much less hold an intelligent conversation.

Hanabi was fifteen when she realized the implications of her newfound anger.

* * *

When she was sixteen, Konoha was at war.

Like all able-bodied chuunin, Hanabi was sent to the front lines. She was something to be reckoned with, her furious hands quick and precise, because she wasn't just protecting herself—she had a nephew to look after, and her sister, and her country, and even that stupid Kiba.

It wasn't until the battle was won that she felt any fear.

Through the grapevine, she heard that Kiba was seriously hurt.

Hanabi rushed to the medic tent, entering just in time to see Haruno Sakura closing a gaping wound on his side.

Hinata was there, as was the Hokage and Shino and Kiba's sister, but when he saw her, lifting a hand in greeting, her eyes began to well up.

"I'm going to have one kick-ass scar," Kiba grinned, winking at her. "It'll go perfectly with my title as 'War Hero'."

Everyone else rolled their eyes at him, but Hanabi rushed over, enveloping him in a hug.

Eyebrows raised and Hinata watched with rapt attention, but no one said anything. Kiba, surprised at her actions and sorry he had made her worry, automatically wrapped an arm around her.

But just that quickly, the moment was broken. Hanabi sniffed, smacking Kiba upside the head. "Idiot," she muttered.

* * *

When she was seventeen, one of the bimbos actually stuck.

Her name was Kimi, and it quickly became clear that she liked Hanabi as much as Hanabi liked her. Which, by the way, was as much as Hanabi loved root canals.

It became increasingly awkward to hang out with Kiba, because Kimi was always there, grabbing his hand, leaning in for kisses, snuggling into his embrace. And though Kiba tried to include her, Hanabi was always the third wheel.

It hurt. Not just because she loved him, but because she was losing her first and best friend. Kiba didn't have the best attention span, so he would frequently forget to meet Hanabi because Kimi wanted to see a movie, or because she had dragged him to lunch, or because he had just gotten back from a mission and she had missed him and demanded his attention.

So, after being stood up for the second time that week, Hanabi gave up on Kiba completely. She stopped showing up at his favorite spots when she knew he would be there. She pretended she didn't see when he waved at her across the market. She made herself too busy to spend time with him, taking one mission after another.

Eventually, it became hard for her to distinguish Kiba from KibaandKimi, to remember the exact way he used to ruffle her hair.

The pain numbed.

* * *

"Kimi broke up with me."

Hanabi was twenty when she answered the pounding on her window. It was Kiba, looking just as she frequently saw him in her dreams. It had been years since they had spoken anything other than meaningless pleasantries to each other, yet there he was, outside her window at one in the morning as if nothing had ever happened.

She was tired, awoken from a deep sleep by his incessant knocking, but she quickly moved out of the way so he could climb in. "What?" she asked groggily.

"Kimi," he repeated quietly, careful not to disturb others asleep on the compound. "She broke up with me."

Hanabi blinked, having trouble processing that information. "Why?"

The moonlight reflected off of his impossibly dark pupils, and suddenly Hanabi was eleven again, realizing with shock that Inuzuka Kiba could understand her feelings better than anyone else.

The silence dragged out, long enough for Hanabi to start to feel antsy under his gaze. Finally, he simply answered, "I don't want to marry her. She was wasting her time."

Hanabi's breath caught.

His silence whispered her answer.

* * *

At the age of twenty, Hyuuga Hanabi found herself washing a giant, uncooperative dog on one of her days off. She was pointedly trying to ignore her shirtless best friend, futilely wiping suds out of her hair.

"That doesn't explain why you're here," Kiba pointed out.

Hanabi reddened, keeping her gaze on the dog. "Well, unlike my sister, I have no problem expressing my feelings. It just so happens that I...I like...Akamaru here."

To further her point, Hanabi wrapped her arms around the head of the giant dog. Akamaru licked her, his tail wagging.

"Really," Kiba deadpanned. "Well, unfortunately for you, he's already got a bitch." His grin grew, his canines on full display. "But I know someone who's free."

The blush had started to return, but she looked Kiba in the eye. "Well, tell him to meet me at Ichiraku in an hour."

Kiba grinned again, a devious glint in his eye. Suddenly, he pointed the hose at Hanabi, the water showering over her and Akamaru.

She shrieked, letting go of the dog and trying to protect herself against the freezing water. Seeing that was futile, she leapt at Kiba, who was howling with laughter. The two wrestled for control of the hose, water covering them both.

She was completely soaked, and probably more clean than Akamaru. But when his lips finally ghosted over hers, Hanabi found she didn't care.

* * *

**A/N: Yes, I realize that the war is technically going on now, with Hanabi being 11 yrs. But since I stated that this fic would be taking an AU turn in the first chapter (even though the concept itself was already pretty AU), I have no problem ignoring the current war and bringing in **_**my**_** random war from chapter 6. Deal with it. ;)**

**Let me know.**

* * *

**Parings and Baybehs (with kids from oldest to youngest):**

**Naruto+Hinata**

~Kenji

~Hitomi and Harumi

~Mayu

**Kakashi+Sakura**

~Obito

~Unborn child

**Sasuke+Random Civilian that I have yet to name because she isn't really important**

~Shuichi

~Large amount of siblings (haven't decided yet how many)

**Sai+?**

**Kiba+Hanabi**

**Shino+Hana**

**Choji+Ino**

~Choro

**Shikamaru+Temari**

~Shikari

~Asuma

**Neji+Tenten**

~Mai

**Lee+Ayame**

**Sarutobi Asuma+Kurenai**

~Yuki


	17. In which someone wins

**WHY IS THIS SO LONG? GAWD. This seriously was killing me, but I had to get it down. It was one of the first ideas I had for this fic, but I wanted to wait for an appropriate time. That time is apparently now.**

**Thanks to everyone who reviewed last chappie! I was pleasantly surprised to find out that another one of my random parings, KibaHana, has started to grow on people. Now, to find a way to get LeeAyame to work. *author plots***

**Okay, random Naruto spoilerific comments time! First of all, I would like to once again point out how much I was enjoying the Uchiha Reunion. It gave me hope that Sasuke isn't completely a lost cause; he just misses his big bro! Secondly, I am sad that it has apparently ended. Thirdly, for the first time ever, I felt bad for Kabuto. For most of Naruto, I had a Sasuke/Sakura relationship with him ("Kabuto, go away! _You're annoying!"_) However, after hearing his backstory, dude can't help but be annoying, especially with a childhood like that. Also for the first time, I wished for Orochimaru to come back, if only so he could give Kabuto a pedo-hug so the weirdo would stop injecting himself with his genes. (Seriously, what the _fuck_? If you wanted Oro inside you so bad, I'm sure you could have just asked. Weirdo.)**

**And now my ranting has made the chapter even longer. Lucky you guys!**

**I don't own Naruto.**

* * *

She made the incision carefully, the body yielding like butter under her sharp scalpel. Already, she could see the effects of the poison—the skin was flaky and dry, and despite the body being dead for over a day, the blood still ran freely.

"Look a little lower," Shizune advised, tapping the preferred spot with a finger.

Sakura obliged, cutting a little lower and moving the flap of skin.

"Hmm." Shizune placed her hands into the cadaver, cradling an organ. "The liver's inflamed."

"Fatty too," Sakura remarked. "That means the poison was strong, right?"

"Right," Shizune murmured deep in thought. "It's going to be hard to combat this one."

The roseate-haired girl sighed, looking at her blood-stained gloves thoughtfully. If the poison was strong, it meant she was going to have a hell of a time attempting to gain an immunity to it. She soured, realizing days full of vomiting and cold sweats were likely.

"Sakura."

She looked up at the new voice, annoyed to see her old teammate Sai smiling at her. Well, she wasn't annoyed at _him_, per se, but at what his sudden appearance meant. She narrowed her eyes at him. "I've got a week off missions."

Sai shrugged, but didn't look very sympathetic. "I was told to come get you," he responded. "You are to report to the Hokage immediately."

Sakura groaned. "_Now_?" She motioned to the cadaver. "I'm kind of in the middle of something. Can't it wait a few hours?"

"Immediately." Sakura wanted to smack that smile off his face. "And I suggest you hurry. She can't find her sake and is in a really foul mood."

Sakura bit her lip, looking at the dead body longingly. In her studies, the one thing she wasn't well-versed in was poison, and Shizune had offered to teach her a few things. This had been the only time that fit both of their schedules...and it was being ruined.

"Go ahead, Sakura," Shizune urged, gesturing to the cadaver. "It's not like _he's_ going anywhere. Go see what she wants."

Mumbling to herself, Sakura took off her latex gloves with a snap. "Fine," she growled, marching over to Sai. "If she's sending me on a sake run, I'm kicking your ass."

Sai held up his hands. "Don't kill the messenger."

"Yeah, whatever."

* * *

She was still irked when she made her way to Hokage Tower, and even more so when she walked into the office and the Hokage didn't acknowledge her right away. She was in no way presentable to be seen by the public—her long pink hair was in a messy bun on the top of her head, she wearing the sensible flats that Ino dubbed her "Granny Shoes" as well as her ratty lab coat that was one size too big, and she _had_ to reek of formaldehyde—yet Tsunade had made her trek across the village on _her day off! _

"Shishou," she prompted, a vein popping in her head.

Tsunade lifted her head off of the desk, bags under her eyes. "Sakura." She sighed, rubbing her temples. She obviously had a headache. "You have a mission."

Sakura blinked. "This is my week off. You've been pushing me to take it for forever, remember?"

"I know," Tsunade snapped. Sake withdrawal was obviously not agreeing with her. "But something just came up."

This was insane. For the first time in years, Sakura was taking a much-needed vacation, and she was off-duty for both missions and her hospital shifts. She was enjoying having time for herself. "You couldn't get anyone else? _Shishou._"

"Don't 'shishou' me," Tsunade barked. "You know I wouldn't do this unless I had no other choice. He wouldn't do it without you, and the client specifically asked for him."

"Who?" Sakura asked curiously. If it was Naruto again, she was going to kill him. He _knew_ how much she had been looking forward to this vacation!

"Kakashi," the Hokage mumbled, rubbing her temples again before sitting up completely.

Emerald eyes widened in surprise. "Kakashi-sensei?"

"This mission is in fact two," Tsunade began to explain. "Officially, the wife of the Earth daimyo has commissioned us to find out if her husband is cheating."

"Why does that need two people?" Sakura demanded. "Kakashi-sensei could handle it just fine on his own."

Tsunade rummaged around in her desk. Sakura didn't doubt she was looking for her hidden sake. "Because the daimyo is suspicious as well. He has done everything in his power to try to keep his infidelities from his wife, including surrounding himself with Iwa-nin. Fortunately, Iwa's harvest festival is coming up, and that gives us an in."

"Harvest festival?"

"Originally, it was to celebrate the harvest—being thankful for the bounty the gods had given them." Her shishou sighed, giving up on her sake for the moment. "Nowadays, it's grown into being more about couples and fertility."

Sakura blanched, slowly realizing what the Hokage wanted from her. "You interrupted my vacation," she said slowly, her teeth beginning to grind, "so that I could play _trophy wife?"_

Tsunade's honey eyes flashed a warning. "Volume, Sakura."

The medic nin exhaled slowly, trying to calm down. "You do realize that I'm nineteen," she said incredulously, "and he's at least eighty. No one will believe that."

Tsunade rolled her eyes, but the slight quirk to her lips showed she was amused. "He's not eighty. And you two work well together, so you'll be convincing. That's one of the reasons I think you'll be a good fit for this mission."

A pink eyebrow raised. "You have more?"

"Yes, and it involves the other part of the mission. The one not on the books." The blonde laced her fingers together. "There have been reports that Iwa has been creating drugs."

"Drugs," Sakura repeated blankly.

"Pharmaceutical drugs," Tsunade clarified. "Ones that can possibly be used against us. This is your second mission. While you're there proving the infidelity of the Earth daimyo, see if you can find any intel on the drug ring."

This was news to Sakura. New drugs could mean anything from antidotes to poisons to strength enhancers, and it was no wonder Tsunade wanted to keep an eye on it.

Tsunade seemed to notice Sakura's sudden interest. "I'll give you two weeks' paid leave," she wheedled.

Sakura's eyes widened. Even her current vacation wasn't paid! Still, she couldn't shake the feeling of being manipulated. "Fine," she sighed, resigned. "I'll take the mission."

Tsunade smiled. "Good. Because of our current relationship with Earth, you are not to draw any attention to you being shinobi. You are merely civilians, passing through Iwa. You are not to use any jutsu that will say otherwise. Understood?"

"Yes, Shishou."

"Good." She tossed a small box to Sakura, who caught it deftly. "You will meet outside the village gates at seven sharp. Kakashi will fill you in on the rest. Now, unless you're going to tell me where Shizune hid my sake, get out of my office."

* * *

"Ouch," Ino said sympathetically, scrutinizing the box. "This is really going to wash out your complexion."

"I know," Sakura groaned. Of all the colors Tsunade could have picked, the mousey-brown did nothing for her. Even the model on the box couldn't sell the horrid color.

"At least it's semi-permanent," Ino consoled. "It'll be gone in a few weeks."

That didn't make Sakura feel any better. The Hokage had made it clear that the Leaf was not to be implicated in anything, so it made sense that she had to mask her identity. She had just always used genjutsu to do that, and had never had to physically change her appearance.

Her hair was such an unusual color that it was very likely it would blow her cover, so it definitely had to be taken care of. It was just...through most of her childhood, she had hated her hair, been picked on for looking different, and now that she was finally in a place where she was comfortable with how she looked, she was being told to conform!

She grimaced as she felt Ino brush the muddy dye onto her hair.

"Think of it as the small price you have to pay to hang all over Kakashi," Ino chattered. "Yum."

Sakura rolled her eyes, but didn't rise to the bait. She shifted in her chair.

Ino frowned. "Forehead, you need to stop messing with boys and learn how to appreciate an older man."

"Like you?" the medic-nin retorted. She had noticed all the eye-flirting her friend had been doing with a certain chuunin examiner.

She could feel rather than see the blonde stick her tongue out at her. "I'm just saying, you need to keep your options open." At this, Ino leaned to the side so that they could be eye to eye. She winked. "You can use this mission as a practice run—see if you like it."

* * *

Sakura was _not_ happy. It was early—much too early for a girl who was supposed to be on vacation—and she looked like she had fallen headfirst into a puddle of mud. She ran her hands through her shoulder-length hair forlornly. Man, it made her skin look pale.

She practically stomped to the gate, her anger growing. This was not the first time that Kakashi had requested she join him on a mission—they _did_ work well together, after all. It was, however, the first time that Sakura had been _coerced_ into a mission with him.

Stupid mission. Stupid shishou. "Stupid sensei," she growled, tapping her foot impatiently. She had purposefully come twenty minutes late and the man _still _was nowhere to be seen! "I haven't even had my—"

Something tapped her forehead, right between her eyes. Instinctively, she looked up, cross-eyed.

"Coffee!" she finished in awe, looking at the cup as if it were a gift from the gods. She hurriedly took it, turning to look at the person who had hung it over her head.

Her emerald eyes widened as she looked appreciatively at her new best friend. He was tall, a good head taller than her, with unruly black hair and dark eyes. She felt her skin flush involuntarily. Why would such a gorgeous stranger buy her coffee? Was it Be Nice To Sakura Day?

It was probably roofied.

_That would be unnecessary, _Inner Sakura purred in her head. _All he had to do was ask._

_ Hey now, slow your roll, _Sakura bit back. _We're spoken for._

_ Doesn't mean we can't look. _Inner Sakura slowly licked her lips. _Or touch…_

Throughout her inner monologue, the man watched her strangely, head tilting to the side.

It was then that Sakura realized that she had never thanked him. "Thanks," she said hurriedly.

He smiled crookedly, eyes crinkling. Inner Sakura profusely approved of his dimples. "You're welcome, Sakura."

Her reaction was immediate. She knew that voice! _She knew that eye crinkle!_ Comically, she jumped back a few feet, jaw unhinged. "_Kakashi-sensei_?" she gasped dramatically.

_Hot damn! _Inner Sakura yelled.

He smiled again, forcing her eyes to gaze once more at those damn dimples. "Were you expecting someone else?"

Still shocked, she dazedly closed the distance between them, grabbing his face with both hands and bringing it down to her level, openly staring. It was a boyish face, one that seemed too young for a man that was supposedly thirty-three years old. It had a strong, clean-shaven jaw, a Greek nose, and full lips that covered white teeth. As he smiled, Sakura noticed a slightly crooked canine.

Sweet kami, was someone playing a trick on her? She peered closer, and two obsidian eyes looked back amusedly. It was certainly his chakra signature. How had she missed it before? "Is this a henge?"

He chuckled, and her eyes were drawn to the source of the sound, entranced by the lips and the dimples and the canine. "No, Sakura-chan. This is my face."

That seemed to bring her back to her senses. "Face?" she repeated, snatching her hands back faster than he could blink.

He stood back to full height, his eyes crinkling in amusement.

Sakura looked around in amazement, wondering if anyone else was seeing what she was, but found them alone, save the guards, who were asleep at their posts. "But your hair..."

"Dyed," he responded.

"Your eye—"

"Contact."

"Your mask!"

"Would kind of blow my cover, don't you think?"

She couldn't believe this. Her brain was in danger of exploding, and he had the nerve to stand there with that crooked smile of his and _find this all funny. _Sakura turned away from him, running a hand through her hair agitatedly. "I think I need a moment."

Kakashi laughed. "Please, take two."

Sakura glared at him over her shoulder, attempting to regain her dignity. "Are you going to fill me in on the rest of the mission or what?"

"With pleasure," he replied, pulling two objects out of the pocket of his flack vest. He tossed one to her, and she caught it deftly.

She looked down, recognizing it to be her new passport. The picture was horrible—she had just taken it that morning, and from the expression on her face, it was quite obvious that Sakura was not a morning person. She scanned through the details. Hatta Sayuri, 23. Hair, brown. Eyes, green. "Sayuri."

Kakashi shrugged. "I figured it would be easier to remember our codenames if they were similar to our real ones." He held out his for her to view: Hatta Kaishi, 25. Hair, black. Eyes, black.

Sakura snickered. "Twenty-five?"

He looked slightly put out. "What, you think I can't pass for twenty-five?"

Oh, he definitely could. With that face...Sakura wasn't going to tell him that, though. She stuck her tongue out. "You're pushing it, Kaka-sensei."

Kakashi didn't respond, instead turning to walk away from the village and forcing her to do the same. She had to walk twice as fast to match his long strides, and she peered up at him curiously. Had she hit a nerve? "Kakashi-sensei?"

"We are newlyweds," he said, his face indifferent. "It's just easier to explain why we traveled all the way to Earth Country for a festival."

"Of course," Sakura agreed. In order to even enter Earth country, they had to travel through Waterfall, as Grass had too many mountains for it to be plausible for two civilians to trek through it.

"We'll cut through Waterfall," he confirmed, rubbing his chin absentmindedly. It seemed he wasn't quite used to going bare-faced. "We can run to the Fire border, but once we cross that, we'll have to travel the rest of the way like normal people."

Sakura blanched. Normally, the trip to Iwa was four days, tops—three if you didn't stop for many breaks. But walking normally after Fire… "That'll take us a week to even get there!" she groaned.

"Yup," he replied cheerfully. "Aren't you glad you have me to keep you company?"

"Heaven help me," Sakura muttered. But the corners of her lips twitched, dispelling any notion of her irritation. She couldn't help it; he _was _good company.

He chuckled, and Sakura found herself staring at his mouth. It was the weirdest thing, to finally see the other half of his face after seven long years. Suddenly, she gasped. "I won!"

"Won what?" Kakashi asked curiously.

Sakura laughed. "The bet. About what you look like! Oooh, Naruto is going to be so mad!"

Kakashi looked at her blankly. "You guys bet. Over what I look like."

"Of course we did," Sakura retorted. "Why do you think we spent most of our genin years trying to get that stupid mask off of you? There were some high stakes in that bet."

The Copy Nin shook his head in disbelief. "Care to explain?"

Jade eyes brightened at the memory. "Well, Naruto and Sasuke both thought you were ugly," she answered bluntly. "Naruto was convinced you had a harelip and Sasuke thought you had jacked up teeth. Me, I took the logical route and bet that you were attractive."

Kakashi chuckled. "What were the stakes?"

"If Naruto won, Sasuke would have to treat him ramen for a week. All he can eat. And you know how much that boy eats." Her checkbook shuddered just thinking about it. "And I would have to go on a date with him."

A sense of nostalgia passed over both of them as they remembered Naruto's Sakura-chasing days. Thinking back on it, it was kind of cute, Sakura mused. Still, she was happy that her blond friend had found the right tree to bark up.

"What would you get?" her former sensei asked.

"Me?" She smiled softly. "If I won, Naruto would have to be my slave for a week, and Sasuke would have to go on a date with me. And Sasuke...if he won, we would both have to stop bothering him for a week."

Kakashi must have noticed the longing in her eyes, because he suddenly winked at her, breaking the melancholy mood. "Attractive, huh?" He reached over, ruffling her hair with a hand. "You always were my favorite. Now, let's get going."

Sakura gaped at him as he started to run. He hadn't ruffled her hair since she was thirteen! "Liar!" she yelled at his retreating back, her face red. "And from the way Ayame-san acted when she saw your face, I just assumed—_are you listening to me?_"

* * *

By the time they made it to Iwa, they had both changed into civilian clothes and thrown on their new personas. Hand in hand, they walked into a small inn.

An elderly woman looked up at them from the desk. "May I help you?"

Kakashi smiled at her, and the woman involuntarily smiled back, a little color in her cheeks. "My wife and I would like a room, if available."

"Wife?" Her beady gaze shifted to Sakura questioningly, a look of surprise flitting across her face.

Sakura bit the inside of her cheek. She knew she looked pretty plain, especially next to a fine specimen such as Kakashi. But who did this old lady think she was, insinuating she couldn't get someone attractive to marry her? She was a great catch, damnit!

Instead of giving the innkeeper a piece of her mind, Sakura merely detached her hand from Kakashi's, holding it up so the woman could see the wedding band on her ring finger. "Newlyweds!" she gushed. _Ha! Take _that, _lady!_

"That's nice, dear," she said uninterestedly, her eyes flicking back to Kakashi's. "Your accent. Are you from…"

"Fire," he confirmed, placing a hand on a pouting Sakura's hip and moving her closer to his side. He smiled again, hoping his devilish good looks would get them a room. The festival started in a few days, and inns would all be booked soon. "We heard about the festival you guys have this time of year and thought it would make a great honeymoon."

The smile seemed to work; while the woman had seemed wary of them before, she was now smiling toothlessly at him. "How romantic!" she cooed.

Sakura fought the urge to smash Kakashi's head concave when the hand on her hip suddenly went lower, cupping her ass. Instead, she giggled. "Anata," she chastised, grasping the hand in her own and discreetly breaking two of his fingers, "Not in public!"

Pervert.

Kakashi scratched the back of his head bashfully, hiding a wince.

This little display only intensified the innkeeper's fluffy feelings as she reminisced about her yonder years. "Here." She placed a set of keys into Sakura's awaiting palm, patting her wrist gently. "Stay as long as you like, dear. First night's free."

Sakura reddened as the old lady winked at her. Feeling the need to immediately leave, she thanked the woman, leading Kakashi upstairs by his broken fingers.

* * *

"Sakura-chan."

"What."

"When do you plan on fixing my fingers?"

"When you learn to keep your hands to yourself."

"Now, that's not fair. I was just keeping in character."

"Yeah, well so was I. Sayuri doesn't like to be touched inappropriately in public."

A smirk. "But she likes it in private? Is she a bad, bad girl?"

She wasn't going to take the bait. "Got any threes?"

"Go fish."

"Damn." She really sucked at this game. She was starting to think he was cheating.

"Sakura-chan…"

Sakura rolled her eyes, slapping her cards face-down on the table. "Oh fine, you big baby! You do realize we're not supposed to use chakra on this mission."

"There are no cameras or bugs in the room. I already checked." He smiled as she took his hand in hers. "And you used chakra when you broke my fingers."

"No I didn't." With a swift tug, she snapped one of his bones back into place.

The Copy Nin paled. This girl was scary.

One by one, she manually forced the bones of his fingers to line up correctly, using her chakra to combat the bruising and swelling. When she was finished, his hand felt good as new.

Sakura sighed, picking up her deck again. For the umpteenth time that night, she asked herself what she was doing playing Go Fish with Hatake Kakashi in an inn in a foreign country. Especially since he seemed to know exactly which cards were in her hand.

"Got any sevens?"

Sakura scowled, briefly considering lying just so she could wipe that smug look off that beautiful face. She handed over the card, irritated when he put down his last pair.

Kakashi's eyes crinkled. "You lose."

"You're cheating!" Sakura accused, glaring.

The Copy Nin bit back a snicker. She looked adorable, getting so worked up over a children's game! She had put her brown hair into a messy bun on top of her head, and had changed into a pair of pajama pants and a t-shirt. Said t-shirt was too big for her—from the obnoxious color, he could conclude that it used to belong to Naruto—and it completely enveloped her small frame. As she glowered at him, he was briefly reminded of the little girl he had met all those years ago.

But then a bare shoulder flashed through the neck of her shirt and the little girl was gone.

"Kakashi-sensei!" the medic-nin growled.

He blinked, thrown out of his thoughts. "Hmm?"

Sakura exhaled slowly, wondering why she voluntarily hung out with someone so infuriating. "Stop cheating!"

"I'm not cheating," he assured, tapping his Sharingan eye. "The contact completely blocks my vision. You just happen to suck."

"Whatever!" she sputtered. She could perform complicated surgeries in her sleep, but ask her to play Go Fish…

She threw the cards back onto the table.

"Now now, Sakura-chan," Kakashi chastised. "No need to be a sore loser."

"I'm going to bed," she moped, making her way over to the double bed. She belly-flopped onto it.

"Yes, dear." He was amused again. Was she really that damn amusing?

"I'm going to steal all the covers!" she huffed spitefully.

"Yes, dear."

"Kakashi-sensei?"

"Hmm?"

"Shut up."

* * *

It wasn't strange for them to share a bed. Being the only kunoichi on her team meant that she had shared a bed with almost all of her boys.

When they were younger, Kakashi, Naruto, and Sasuke would share a room, allowing her to have her own. As they got older—and consequently more frugal—they all agreed that Sakura having her own room was not cost efficient. As a result, she had shared sleeping space with Sai and Naruto countless times, and even Yamato a few times on partner missions. But never Kakashi, because Naruto, as immature as he was, refused to sleep in the same bed as Sai.

So imagine her surprise when she woke up the next morning to find her ex-sensei spooning her.

Surprise probably wasn't the best word, as she knew about Kakashi's sleeping quirks. Sasuke used to snore, Naruto managed to hog the whole bed, Sai talked in his sleep, and, as they had all found out one morning, Kakashi was a spooner. Naruto had moaned all morning about feeling _violated_, but Sakura had found it hilarious.

Now that she was the spoonee, however, she could admit that the feeling was strange.

Not _bad_, per se, but she wasn't used to this much bodily contact. His breath was stirring the hairs on the back of her neck and his arm was wrapped around her middle, keeping her in place. He even had a leg hooked over hers, making sure her body was flush against his.

Sakura cleared her throat nervously. "Um…"

He was awake instantly. Slowly, he retrieved his appendages, sitting up and ruffling his hair. "Sorry," he mumbled.

"No problem," she replied easily, smiling.

She hoped he didn't hear her rapid heartbeat.

* * *

The first part of the mission was easy.

The night of the festival, they dressed in their yukata and roamed, eating dango, catching goldfish, and acting lovey-dovey. By the time the fireworks display started, they had already acquired many photos of the Earth daimyo kissing a woman that was certainly _not _his wife.

As they sat, watching colors explode in the sky, Kakashi leaned over, nuzzling her neck affectionately. "We should check his office," he whispered in her ear.

Sakura giggled, giving him a nod imperceptible to anyone who wasn't looking for it. They stood, hand in hand, and walked inconspicuously to the building.

Everyone was watching the fireworks display, so there was no one around to see when Kakashi began picking the lock to the small administrative building. Even so, Sakura covered him, keeping watch for any rogue drunkards.

"Got it," Kakashi murmured, and the lock opened with a click. Looking around one last time, they slipped through the door.

The building was small, only one-story. Sakura rolled her eyes. Iwa was a ninja village headed by the Tsuchikage, but Earth was technically controlled by the Earth daimyo. From the size of his administrative office, it was clear that the daimyo didn't do much governing, enjoying the perks of his title and partaking in none of the responsibility.

Kakashi, wary of any cameras, wrapped an arm around her, tugging her to his side. "It's this one," he whispered in her hair, leading her to a door and turning the knob. It yielded easily, making Sakura want to roll her eyes. Would there even be anything useful in there if the idiot didn't even bother to lock his door?

As soon as the door shut behind them, they split up, hoping to find something as quickly as possible.

Sakura began ruffling through papers left on the desk. Annoyed when she found nothing but candy wrappers and receipts, she opened a drawer with more force than necessary.

"In a hurry?" Kakashi asked conversationally, looking through the bookshelf.

"Yes, actually," she replied, filtering through more receipts. "I'd like to make it home before my hair grows back. Yours grows in, you look distinguished. Mine grows in, I look like I'm twelve and cut myself."

He chuckled, but didn't turn to face her, too busy flipping through the pages of a book.

"Receipt, receipt, coupon," she mumbled to herself. Honestly, how many times did this guy eat out a week? It was no wonder he was a little on the heavier side. She scoffed, about to disregard a takeout receipt, when something caught her eye.

She had seen this receipt before.

Confused, she moved back to the top of the desk, ruffling through the various receipts until she found the one she was looking for. Just as she suspected, the restaurant, date, and purchases were identical.

Jade eyes narrowed as the receipt from the drawer made her hand tingle. "Genjutsu," she said aloud.

Kakashi stopped what he was doing and made his way over, taking the receipt from her. "A strong one, too," he commented.

As he dispelled the jutsu, Sakura thanked her lucky stars that she was a genjutsu-type. What used to be a receipt for noodles morphed itself into a list of things Sakura immediately recognized. "This is it," she confirmed. "They've created a new type poison."

"Sweating, vomiting, paralysis, then cardiac arrest and death." Kakashi whistled low. "This one's a doozy."

Sakura agreed. The poison was so complex that if any shinobi had come into the hospital with it in their system, she wouldn't have been able to help them. She was grateful someone had kindly remembered to write the antidote on the bottom.

Suddenly, the door to the building slammed. They both froze, immediately searching for ways out of the room. Unfortunately, the room had no windows, and the air vent on the ceiling was too high up for them both to scramble through quickly.

They were stuck.

Footsteps were getting closer. Sakura hurriedly shut drawers, putting everything back the way she had found it.

Her back hit the wall before she could even blink. Stunned, she met Kakashi's gaze, going a little cross-eyed due to his close proximity.

"Trust me," he whispered before crashing his lips down onto hers.

To say she was shocked was an understatement; she went rigid, eyes wide and hands at her sides. Of all people, Kakashi was the last she ever would consider kissing. He was her friend, her training partner, her team leader. What he was not was Sasuke.

Kakashi growled lightly against her mouth, annoyed at her inability of cooperate. He lifted her chin, giving himself better access, and reached for the top of her yukata.

Normally, Sakura would have knocked him into next week, but she found herself unable to move. She just couldn't comprehend what was happening, couldn't understand why she wasn't doing anything to stop it.

When she felt him slip something into her bra, it all clicked into place. Whatever spell had been cast on her was broken. She wound her fingers through his dark hair, pulling him closer until his body was flush against hers.

A new feeling began to bubble within her. To her surprise, she began to _enjoy_ it. Unlike herself, Kakashi clearly knew what he was doing, and she quickly found herself panting into his mouth, every nerve-ending in her body tingling. Unconsciously, her grip on his hair tightened, and in response, his hands grabbed her ass, lifting her until she was at his eye-level. Her legs automatically locked around his waist, the yukata inching further and further up.

"What's going on in here?" a voice shouted.

At the sound, Kakashi pulled back, leaving Sakura to slide back down the wall, hair disheveled and lips bruised. She looked at the intruder dazedly.

An Iwa nin was glaring at them from the doorway.

Kakashi put up his hands apologetically. "I'm sorry. We didn't realize anyone was here."

"How did you get in here?" the enemy nin demanded, scanning the room for anything out of place.

"The door was open," Sakura said, embarrassment clear in her voice. "We just wanted to be alone…"

"Well, this isn't a love motel," the man rudely snapped. "Get out."

Kakashi placed a hand on the small of her back, leading her past the suspicious nin and out the door. They continued down the hallway, the Iwa nin following closely behind. When they finally exited the building, he slammed the door behind them.

Kakashi and Sakura shared a look. Wordlessly, they headed back to where the festival was held, walking through throngs of people, and continued on to their inn. After changing into more suitable clothing, they quickly packed up their gear and jumped out the window, leaving the room key on the bed.

Originally, the plan had been to leave in the morning. But now that they had physical proof of Iwa's drug activities, it wouldn't make sense to stick around, especially because they couldn't use jutsu to protect it or themselves. So, doing their best to blend into the darkness, they slipped through the gates and left Iwa.

As soon as her feet touched the land outside of the village, Sakura had the intense urge to flee. She just wanted to be home in her own bed and not in a place where defending herself meant possibly starting another war. She had to force her anxious limbs to slow.

It wasn't until they had been walking for an hour that the silence between them was broken.

"That was your first, wasn't it?"

Sakura jumped at the voice, a flush immediately making its way onto her face. She nodded.

Kakashi sighed, running a hand through his hair. "I'm sorry. It was the only thing I could think of."

Sakura shook her head, meeting his eyes for the first time. "We did what we had to do," she replied. "It's okay."

It had to be. She had been saving it for Sasuke, but there had been no other choice. Besides, Sasuke's first kiss had been Naruto, so she figured he would understand. If they were ever able to bring him home, that is.

In the middle of her musings, something tickled her senses. She looked up at Kakashi, whose serious face told her that he felt it too. They were on high alert.

It was only instinct that made her duck, avoiding the shiruken aimed for her head. They thunked into a nearby tree, causing splinters to scatter in the air. Mentally preparing herself for battle, Sakura turned to face her assailant.

It didn't really surprise her to be facing the same ninja that had caught them in the office. He looked angry, his nose flaring and his teeth bared. "Give back what you stole," he growled.

"I don't know what you're talking about," Kakashi responded, flanking her. "We were just on our way home."

The Iwa nin grit his teeth. "What do you think, I'm an idiot? Give back what you stole, or we'll take it from you."

At that moment, more chakra signatures became noticeable, and five more shinobi dropped from the trees, quickly surrounding them.

Automatically, the two members of Team Seven turned back to back, ready for attacks to come from all directions. Kakashi's eyes flashed. "I would let us go if I were you."

In response, the Iwa nin charged at Sakura, kunai in hand. With a flick of her wrist, the kunai went flying, further enraging him. Sakura avoided his attack, parrying with a jab in the sternum.

He took a step back, winded, and two other nin came at her from different sides, hoping to gang up on her. Unfortunately for them, while she wasn't great at taijutsu, she was definitely better than they were. One of them got a punch to the abdomen, breaking at least three of his ribs. The other, a woman, came at her with a kunai, and when Sakura rammed her elbow into her head, knocking her out, the kunai scratched her arm.

Immediately, her arm began to tingle. Sakura's eyes widened with realization. "Kaishi," she started to warn.

But it was too late. The original Iwa nin, from his spot on the ground, threw senbon right at him.

Kakashi was too busy incapacitating his three attackers to worry about the senbon coming his way. He didn't attempt to move.

Sakura's heart dropped when she realized that Kakashi was purposely going to take the hit without knowing the consequences. Making a split decision, she jumped, causing the senbon to embed themselves into her shoulder. She winced, running over to where the nin lay and smashing his head into the ground, knocking him unconscious.

Already starting to breathe heavily, she glanced over her shoulder at Kakashi. He stood alone, surrounded by piles of unconscious enemy nin.

Sakura smiled to herself, dropping to the ground as her knees gave out.

The Copy Nin was over in a flash, holding her up in a sitting position. "What happened?" he demanded.

She was already starting to sweat. She had to give it to whoever made the poison; it was potent, fast-acting stuff. "The weapons had poison on them," she said simply.

His dark eyes locked on the senbon in her shoulder. "Why would you…"

"I'm still learning about poisons." She coughed, wheezing as she breathed. Her airways were starting to constrict. "I wouldn't have been able to save you."

Logically, he could see she had made the right choice. Although he was bigger than she was, her body was more trained in combating poisons than his, and thus it would take longer for her to succumb to the poison. She also wouldn't have been able to carry his body all the way to Konoha in time.

However, logic was starting to fail the Copy Nin, hysteria slowly taking its place. He couldn't lose any more precious people. He wouldn't be able to handle it.

"What do you need me to do?" he asked calmly. From her spot in his lap, Sakura could see the panic in his eyes.

It was getting harder to breathe. She shivered, her body temperature starting to lower. "Get...me...to...Shizune."

He nodded, opening his pack and pulling out what she recognized to be a teleportation scroll. She didn't know he had brought one.

Her vision was almost gone—she could only vaguely see the shape of his head now. She could hear him talking to her, but she couldn't concentrate on the words, slowly being pulled under by the drugs.

"No no no, stay with me. Sayuri!" Kakashi barked. She was laying there, body cold, eyes unfocused, and barely breathing, and it was scaring him. "Sakura!"

He was startled as she deliriously brought a hand up to his face, almost poking him in the eye. Her fingers brushed his chin, and she smiled. "It's okay."

No. She was dying, and she knew it. This wasn't going to happen. He wouldn't let it.

To his horror, the emerald eyes he often admired rolled back into her head. Sakura started to seize.

He activated the scroll.

* * *

When she woke up, Sakura felt like she had the biggest hangover in the history of man. Her head pounded, further irritated by the bright lights and loud yelling.

"Sakura-chan! You're okay!"

Sakura moaned, closing her eyes again. She was in the hospital. "Volume, Naruto."

"Sorry!" the rambunctious blond replied guiltily, his voice a lot quieter. "Is there anything I can get you?"

"Water," Sakura croaked. Her throat felt like she had swallowed sand. "And shut the curtains."

Naruto did as he was asked, helping her sit up so she wouldn't unintentionally drown herself. After she drank one cup and refilled another, she spoke. "How long have I been out?"

"A week," he responded. "You really scared us, especially Kakashi-sensei."

"Kakashi-sensei," Sakura murmured, eyes drifting over to flowers on her nightstand that could only have been from Ino.

Naruto fidgeted. He looked like he really wanted to hug her, to feel for himself that she was alright, but was afraid to touch her. "Yeah, he's been sitting with you nonstop. He didn't even read that stupid book of his."

Sakura smiled a little at the thought of Kakashi fretting over her like a mother hen. "Where is he now?"

Naruto paused. "You know, I have no idea. He was just here five minutes ago. Maybe he went to take a leak."

But the medic-nin knew that Kakashi wasn't coming back. He hated hospitals, and had probably only stayed long enough to make sure she was okay.

Like a ghost, she could suddenly feel the brush of his lips against hers, the warmth of his hand. She saw his dimples, the crooked canine.

She must have been on some strong meds.

"Naruto."

The boy halted his monologue of how her mission went well and Tsunade was giving her as much vacation time as she wanted. He blinked, unnerved by her sudden smile.

"I won."

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**A/N: That one sure was a doozy! -_-;;**

**When this idea first came to me, I obsessed long and hard about it, and through my obsessing came another idea—a KakaSaku chapter fic. And boy, have I wanted to start writing it! The only reason I haven't is because I don't think it's a good idea, especially with this fic and _Rapture _still needing to be finished. Add in me studying abroad (with finals coming up soon) and I just don't think I'd be able to spend an equal amount of time writing three fics. One of them would end up by the wayside, which is something I don't want. Still, would anyone read a fic with KakaSaku as the main paring if I posted it?**

**Anyway, let me know.**


	18. In which someone is unsure

**And I'm back! Why was I gone so long, you ask? I've already written a novel about it in the latest chapter of _Rapture_, but to make a long story short, I had finals, then I had to fly back home, then the Fire Nation attacked and Zutara ruined my life.**

**I actually planned on updating the last prompt for Zutara Week before updating this one, but it is becoming so long it's ridiculous, and this short little thing has been floating in my head for a while. Hope you enjoy!**

**I don't own Naruto. If I did, I wouldn't halt a war for an entire chapter just so Kakashi could give a lecture on space-time jutsus. I mean, seriously, villains in shonen manga are so _considerate_, waiting patiently while their enemy openly strategizes in the middle of a battle for chapters on end. **

* * *

Her heart hammered in her chest as she made her way through Konoha's streets, dodging people as she went. A million thoughts ran through her head, making it hard to concentrate on anything other than putting one foot in front of the other.

Before she knew it, she was at her destination, her stomach clenching and her mouth dry. Why was she so nervous? He was her best friend. She could talk to him about anything. This wasn't a big deal.

Feeling stupid and slightly intimidated, she smoothed down the material of her blue sundress, too much in her own world to notice the curious looks from passersby. She ran a hand through her hair, hoping to tame any fly-aways, then, taking a deep breath, pushed open the door to the barbeque restaurant.

He was right where she had left him, and she was simultaneously relieved and horrified. She noticed that he was just sitting there, not eating any of the meat in front of him, a sure sign that something was bothering him. It took her a few seconds to gather up the courage to walk to his table, but when she did, he looked up in surprise.

"Ino."

She really should have sat down, should have made small talk and eased her way into the subject. But her brain could only focus on one thing, and before she knew what she was doing, the words had spilled from her mouth. "Do you love me, Choji?"

He physically recoiled from the question, eyes widening and cheeks immediately blooming with color.

Other customers were looking at them curiously and she felt her own face heat up. She really wished she could _control her mouth._ "As more than a friend, I mean."

And now that the question was out there, she found she didn't want to know the answer. If he said no, everything would be okay and they could laugh about how silly she was being, but she knew that a small part of her would die. If he said yes…

She wasn't sure what would happen if he said yes.

Choji was her best friend, her teammate. He was always there, through her good times and her bad, always willing to be a shoulder to lean on, always able to put a smile on her face. She had never thought about him in _that way _before, had always gone after guys who shattered her and then allowed Choji to help put her back together. _If he said yes…_

Choji's mouth opened and closed several times, the silence hanging between them. Finally, he nodded.

Ino practically collapsed into the chair across from him. "Really?" she whispered, blue eyes wide.

The Akimichi seemed to regain his voice. "Always," he replied just as quietly. "Always."

His face was red, clearly embarrassed, but he was looking her straight in the eye, refusing to run away. Ino resisted the urge to stare at the table. She had already run once before. She wasn't going to do it again.

She felt so unlike herself. She hadn't been this awkward and unsure since her crush on Sasuke. Ino prided herself in being confident, in having no shame in going after what she wanted and saying whatever she pleased. Now, she felt more like Hinata, blushing and stumbling through conversations and feeling like she might faint.

She couldn't pretend with Choji. He knew that she was selfish, rude, and sometimes shallow. He knew that she was loud and flirty and narcissistic and cared way too much about what others thought about her. He knew what she looked like without her makeup and fancy clothes and brash confidence. He knew every single one of her faults. And he loved her anyway.

She had never had this before in a relationship, never felt so bared open. It scared her.

"I'm _so _sorry, Cho." She noticed his face fall at this. "God, I am so _stupid._"

He looked alarmed. "You're not stupid, Ino."

"Yes I am." She placed her face in her hands. "Everyone has been telling me about how you felt for years, and I've just been ignoring it!" She gasped in horror. "_I'm worse than Naruto!_"

Chojo couldn't help but smile at that. "You're not worse than Naruto."

Ino peered at him in disbelief. "I had a magical fortune-telling ball thingie tell me that all of this would happen!"

He paused, his smile widening a tad. "Okay, you're a _little_ worse than Naruto."

Ino groaned in mortification.

"It's okay, you know." His smile faded. "You don't have to love me back. We can't control how we feel."

"I don't know _how _I feel." Ino caught his gaze, placing a hand in his. She exhaled slowly. "But I'm willing to find out."

She watched as hope filled his big brown eyes, as fear slowly disappeared. He swallowed. "So what now?"

"Now?" she mused softly, her thumb rubbing patterns along his skin. Her heart was still jittery, but it no longer felt trapped. She was feeling freer by the second. "Now, we finish our dinner. Then we should head over to the hospital, because Hinata's in labor."

"Really?" He smiled excitedly, and Ino wasn't exactly sure if it was because of Hinata or something else.

She liked to think it was her.

Suddenly, she noticed how everyone's eyes were on them. "Can I help you?" she snapped loudly, pleased when heads hurriedly turned around.

Scoffing at their audacity, she turned her attention back to her maybe-more-than-a-best-friend, who smiled warmly at her despite her crankiness.

Ino felt herself smiling back.

* * *

**A/N: A little something to tide you over until I can get my shit together. I've always felt that Ino is actually a very sensitive person, and she isn't as confident as people think she is. **

**Let me know.**


	19. In which dinner gets ridiculous

**So I was planning on writing this chapter for a long time and just never got around to it. Then I woke up this morning to _Kishi ruining my fucking life_ and then was unnaturally depressed all day, and had plenty of inspiration for this chappy. (*Spoilers* It was the symbolism of the caged bird being freed that got me, okay? I didn't even like Neji that much. But as soon as he was gone, I realized how much I respected him. Also, I vaguely ship Nejiten, and that ship is officially sunk now. What a crappy day. But I will say this: it was a beautiful chapter, and I'm glad he was able to die on his terms, protecting Hinata. *sobs* Also, Shikaku and Inoichi whyyy) SO NOW this fic is completely AU if it wasn't before. But that's okay, because it makes me happy that people are still alive in my headcanon.**

**I don't own Naruto. If I did, _I wouldn't be this fucking upset._**

* * *

He knew that he was starting to sound like a broken record, but as he listened to Naruto noisily slurp his soup, Neji knew _for certain_ that this dinner could not go well.

Hiashi had decided that it was time to meet the loudmouth boy his eldest daughter had recently been spending so much time with. Because she wasn't able to refuse, Hinata had done as her father had asked, and not one to miss a free meal, Naruto had readily agreed. Now, however, it was clear that Hinata regretted her decision. She barely ate, instead alternating between staring at her soup and sneaking glances at her father.

Even from his seat across from her, Neji could tell that his cousin found the whole situation extremely stressful. Every time Naruto was being himself (read: loud and obnoxious), Hiashi's eyebrow would twitch. Hanabi, who had decided to sit alongside Neji so that Naruto could have the seat next to her sister, drank her soup daintily and hid her amusement behind a hand.

So, because everyone else in the family was obviously waiting for a disaster to happen, Neji decided to act as normally as possible, and do damage control if need be. He owed Hinata-sama at least that.

Naruto burped loudly, a fox-like grin taking over his face. "Damn, this is good! I was starving!"

Hiashi's lip curled beneath his mustache. "Yes, we can see that."

"You just came from training, didn't you Naruto?" Neji interjected, hoping to help him out.

"Yeah. Hey, thanks!" he told a servant as she took his empty bowl and replaced it with a steaming plate of fish and vegetables. "Me 'n Hinata got finished a little while ago, so I took a shower and came right over."

Neji thanked the gods that Naruto had had the sense to at least do that. His blond hair was still damp, and while he wasn't wearing his obnoxious orange jumpsuit, he hadn't bothered to dress up for the occasion, wearing a black tshirt with a giant swirl in the middle and a comfortable pair of sweatpants. Sitting next to Hinata, who was all dolled up in her formal dinner kimono, he looked even more ridiculous.

Hiashi cleared his throat. "You have been training with my daughter quite often as of late."

"Yeah!" Naruto's smile was so bright, Neji felt like he needed sunglasses. "She kicks my ass!"

Hinata visibly twitched at his profanity, but her cheeks pinked at the compliment.

Hiashi frowned. "And you were planning on courting my daughter without first discussing it with me?"

"Court?" Naruto asked, bewildered. His eyebrows furrowed together. "What court? We didn't go to court."

Hanabi couldn't contain herself any longer. "Are you stupid?" she snorted.

"No!" he yelled, pointing his chopsticks at her. But he wasn't offended—his childhood had given him a thick skin. "Iruka-sensei used to call me _special_."

Hanabi burst out laughing. Neji, who could already see the dinner spiraling beyond his control, cut in, "Courting is like dating."

"With the intention of marriage," Hanabi said slowly. "Hinata is a member of a noble clan. Our clan doesn't date for fun."

Hinata looked like she was waiting for the ground to swallow her up.

"Marriage?" The look of confusion returned. "Dating—we're not dating."

"Why not?" Hanabi countered. "Hina-nee not good enough for you?"

"Hanabi-sama!" Neji scolded.

Naruto threw up his hands, food forgotten. "What?! Of course not! Hinata's awesome!"

"But not awesome enough to date?" Hanabi countered. "What, is she not attractive enough?"

Hinata was starting to look a little green.

"Of course she is!" Naruto looked at Hanabi like he thought _she _was the stupid one.

"Really," Hanabi replied, skeptical.

Naruto crossed his arms haughtily. "She's really pretty. And she's got a great pair of tits."

Neji's jaw dropped. Hiashi lost his eyebrows to his hairline. Hanabi's face was a mixture of the two.

Hinata had three seconds to look mortified before her eyes rolled up inside her head and she promptly fell out of her chair.

Without even looking at her, Naruto's arm shot out, swiftly catching her before she could hit the ground. It was then that he finally noticed the way everyone was looking at him, and he pointed to Hinata anxiously. "She does this sometimes," he explained hurriedly, thinking _this _was the reason everyone was looking at him like he was running around naked.

Hanabi recovered first. "You wouldn't know what to do with _all that _anyway," she sniffed.

"_Hanabi-sama!_" Neji couldn't understand why Hanabi took such a perverse pleasure in messing with people. _But this was getting way out of hand!_

"_What!_" Of course, Naruto would choose _this_ moment to get offended. "Listen, kid. I was trained by two of the most perverted sensei on the planet. I've written an _Icha Icha_ book myself!"

And then, to Neji's horror, Naruto proceeded to list all of the ways he could satisfy Hinata, fanning said girl with his napkin as he did.

It was a long list.

Neji clapped his hands over Hanabi's ears, forgetting in his terror that Hyuuga can easily read lips. Hanabi watched Naruto with morbid fascination. Hiashi, who was noticeably angry at first, was fighting his interest, and seemed two seconds away from taking notes.

Finally, when it was clear that Naruto had a lot more to say on the subject, Hanabi cut him off. "And that's why you would want to marry her. Because she has a hot bod and you could do pervy things to her."

The tips of the jinchuuriki's ears turned pink, but he was appalled. _Appalled, I say. _"No!" he snapped. "Hinata-chan's amazing. She's shy, but she always stands up for what she believes in. She's the nicest person I know, and she never gives up. She believed in me when no one else did—_loved _me when no one else did, and I don't take any of that for granted. If I were with Hinata, it would be because I want to make her just as happy as she makes me."

Neji couldn't help the small smile that graced his lips. After all the terrible answers he had given, Naruto had finally given a perfect one. And by the looks on his family's faces, they felt the same way.

Calmly, Neji raised his hand in the air.

Hanabi raised an eyebrow. "Nii-san, what are you doing?"

"I believe this is a favorable match for Hinata-sama," he answered easily.

"So you're voting on it?" the younger girl asked incredulously. "What is this, the Middle Ages? Don't you think Hina-nee can choose for herself?"

"Put your hand down, Neji," Hiashi said, his voice full of authority. "This is not a democracy. We do not vote on people's love lives."

For the umpteenth time that night, Neji's jaw dropped. "But..._but_…"

"Hey, are you okay, Hinata?" Naruto asked loudly as the girl stirred.

"I'm fine, Naruto-kun," came Hinata's embarrassed voice. She sat up out of his arms, face rosy. "What happened?"

"I think your family gave us permission to go to the court," he whispered to her in a Naruto fashion, which wasn't much of a whisper at all. He rubbed the back of his neck sheepishly. "But I have no idea where the court is, so I hope you know."

Vaguely, Neji wondered if stupid could be passed down in the gene pool.

* * *

**A/N: Let me know! (Also, feel free to mourn with me—because I honestly believe I'm mourning this fictional character and company would be much appreciated)**


	20. In which love trumps politics

**_Whoa _****I never meant to leave this story for that long! To be honest, you all know how easily distracted I am, and that along with life and plot bunnies and focusing a little more on ****_Rapture_**** made me kind of forget about this fic. Whoops!**

**So sorry for the impromptu hiatus. Hopefully it'll never be that long again, though I do intend to still focus more on ****_Rapture_****. That fic is just begging me to be finished.**

**I don't own Naruto. If I did, obviously there would be more Naruhina. *flings NH at you***

* * *

Hinata stood barefoot in Naruto's bathroom, clothed only in one of his oversized tshirts. With what had just happened, she should have been overflowing with joy. But, while staring at her reflection in the mirror— long hair disheveled, skin flushed—reality hit, and it hit hard. She felt it as the happiness ebbed out of her, felt the warmth leave her insides.

It was small and tasteful, a kunoichi's ring; not big enough to be too noticeable if she were on a mission, not big enough to get in her way, and easily able to slip under gloves. It was beautiful, practical, and most likely heavily suggested by Sakura.

It was also starting to make her feel unworthy.

She didn't know why she had never thought of this until now. Probably because despite everything, she had never expected Naruto to want to _marry_ her. Date her for a little bit, maybe, but spend the rest of _his life_ with her? It was something straight out of her 10-year-old self's dreams.

Her eyes began to burn, and Hinata took a deep breath, willing the panic down and the oncoming tears away. The ring grew heavy and cold on her finger.

"Hinata?"

His voice startled her, a hand instinctively shooting over her heart.

"Babe, are you okay?"

"Fine," she squeaked, rubbing her eyes hurriedly before opening the bathroom door.

He was in the small kitchen, dressed only in a low-slung pair of black boxers and putting a kettle on. Hinata forced herself not to stare, focusing on his mega-watt grin instead of the hard lines and smooth planes of his body. "Hi," he said almost shyly, reaching for her.

Obediently, she allowed herself to be enveloped in his arms, inhaling his unique musky scent. Here, with her face tucked into his collarbone, she felt safe, felt her panic ebbing away.

Naruto nuzzled her hair. "_Uzumaki-san_."

And just that quickly, the panic was back. She stiffened involuntarily at the words, stiffened so obviously that Naruto stiffened in response before slowly backing away from her.

Her heart broke at the expression on his face—while carefully blank, his soulful blue eyes showed all of his hurt—and she had to bite her lip to stop from breaking into hysterics.

He crossed his arms over his chest, looked away. "Did you change your mind? Finally realize what you were chaining yourself to? I don't blame you."

"Stop it," she snapped, grabbing his face in her hands and forcing him to look at her. She _hated_ it when he said things like that, like he was the monster he had always been told he was. "I know exactly who you are. I love you"—she brought his forehead down to meet hers—"and I would never, _ever_ change my mind, Naruto-kun."

Relief visibly filled his body and his infectious smile returned, but he was still clearly baffled. "Then what's the matter?"

Against her will, tears leaked out beneath her lashes. Naruto wiped at them, perplexed.

"Because you might change yours," she whispered.

He snorted, wrapping a finger around a strand of her hair. "And why would I do that?" He paused. "You're not secretly a man, are you? Because I don't think that's a dealbreaker. I've never been with a man before, but for you, I'd give it a shot—"

"Naruto!" Hinata interrupted, exasperated. He was not supposed to make her want to laugh. "I'm being serious!"

"So am I!" the blond scoffed. "I don't see what the problem is."

"You're studying to be Hokage," she reminded. "And I'm going to be clan head."

He stared blankly at her.

"I'm expected to pass along my family name. Any children I had would be Hyuuga. Naruto, your family line would end with you." And she knew how much his parents meant to him, how proud he was of his heritage, how the Uzumaki clan was practically nonexistent. How was she supposed to help him rebuild his clan with Hyuuga children?

Understanding flickered over Naruto's features. He chuckled. "That's what was bothering you? My line wouldn't end with me. They would still be my kids."

"But they wouldn't be Uzumaki," she reminded.

Naruto shrugged, leaning casually against a counter. "That doesn't bother me. Uzumaki is my mother's family name, you know. There's no rule saying my kids have to take mine."

For a moment, Hinata was struck silent. She was not expecting this reaction. Tearfully giving him back the ring she expected. But Naruto telling her he wanted to marry her anyway? "But your clan—"

"You can't miss what you never had, Hina. They can be Hyuuga on paper, and we can still call them Uzumaki if that makes you feel any better."

"But me being clan head means that I have to live on the compound. How are you going to do that if you're Hokage? You're not supposed to favor any of the clans, much less live with them."

An eyebrow raised. "I'm starting to think you're looking for excuses," he teased. "I really don't care where we live—we can figure it out later. Can't we just ignore the politics?"

"But—"

Strong hands grabbed her around her midsection, pulling her flush against him. "Hinata. I love you and I want _you_ to be the person by my side, not anyone else, even if it's difficult, even if we have to fight to do it. Can you please, _please_ just say yes?"

He really didn't care. All of the things she thought were important may be, but apparently not as important as her. Tears sprang to her eyes again. Wordlessly, she nodded her assent.

Naruto smothered her mouth with his. "Thank you," he whispered gleefully against her lips. "Thank you. _Thank you._"

The kettle began to whistle. Hinata tried to reach for it, but Naruto trapped her against the counter. "Leave it," he mumbled. "I don't have a taste for tea anymore."

She smiled, heart singing. "What do you have a taste for?"

"Well," he murmured against her neck, a hand creeping up her thigh and beneath the hem of her (his) shirt, "all this talk about kids makes me feel like we should practice making them."

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**A/N: Let me know!**


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